Beloved Monsters
by Spiritual Stone
Summary: "I'll just introduce myself properly, then," Link shrugged, even as he felt a pair of Stalfos and Iron Knuckles line themselves up behind him, "My name is Link Dragmire, son of Ganondorf, Prince of Hyrule. So, Sheik, now that we know each other," he smiled, and extended a hand. "How about I kill you like the dog you are?"
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey Y'all!**_

**Okay, so , New Story. Yes, yes, I know, I should be doing Blue Pearls, but right now the juices aren't flowing. Now THIS story? I've had the idea for years. And now it's starting to write itself, so, why not? I'll try to work on the two fics at the same time, so you'll have more to look forward to? **

**Anyway, here it is, new story: My Beloved Monsters.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><em><strong>Beloved Monsters<strong>_

The young man lost his patience and broke the prisoner's forearm. The _snap_ was muffled by the rebel's howl.

The young man patiently waited till the howl subsided, and only ragged breathing remained. It was deathly quiet in these cells, deep under the castle. Nobody and nothing ventured here, not unless there was (un)pleasant business to be conducted.

"You know," he said, "I'm sure that hurt. So, unless you _like_ that, in which case I'll switch to hugs to get you to talk," the jailer grinned behind his mask, eyes flashing. "Tell me where Princess Zelda is."

"I don't… I don't know…"

"I'm pretty sure you're lying, so," the young man snapped the prisoner's arm again, but between the elbow and the shoulder, as opposed to the elbow and the wrist. There was another howl, longer and more agonised than the last.

The jailer sighed, twisting a finger into his ear as if the noise annoyed him. "I think you should start talking."

"Furore, Furore, give me strength…"

"Please stop weeping, it makes me want to cry too," the jailer smiled and crouched, after shaking the booted foot that he'd used to crush the man's appendage with. Its soles were spiked with metal, and each tip dripped blood. "And seriously, when that happens, things get ugly. I don't _like_ to cry. I tend to stomp on things that make me cry. And you have a whole other arm."

The man hissed, biting his lip, and the young man was delighted and amused by the great effort the prisoner put into not shedding a single tear. "Start talking, now, please?"

_Just because you're being polite doesn't mean you're not being a brute._

"Shut up, please, I'm in the middle of an interrogation." He tilted his head to the side as he said so, as if the speaker was behind him. He turned back to the prisoner and smiled. "Now, I know that you're her little spy. I've watched you send owls and hawks to her, a couple of times actually. I even shot one of them down, and lookie here: a note." He pulled a piece of rolled paper out of his sleeve, making the older man freeze. The jailer was lying; his shot had never been that good (he'd only injured the bird) and the rolled paper itself was commonly used to wipe one's behind after using the latrines. Of course, the cells were too dark so there was no way the rebel would know that.

_You know he's not _little_. He's older than you, he'd beat you in a swordfight, and he's probably acting a lot braver than you _ever_ could. _

"I told you to _shut up_!" he snapped, making his prisoner flinch. The boy took a deep breath to calm himself before smiling reassuringly. "Anyway, here's the deal. I keep this quiet from Ganondorf, if you tell me where she is. Or I hand this over to our dear boss, with your other notes to verify your handwriting, and let him have his fun with you. So, which is it?"

Water dripped from the ceiling, in a slow, laborious rhythm, and the stubborn man's ragged breathing was all he heard in the cell, until he whispered hoarsely, "What… what do you intend to do with her?"

"She and I have unfinished business." The young man hissed, "And I intend to have a _chat_ with her."

More haggard breathing. The young man reined in his temper as the smell of the cell, murky and cloying with damp, began to line the walls of his throat. "And me?"

"I'll tell him I broke you because you annoyed me. That is, if you want to take it up with him." He gritted out, barely suppressing the urge to bounce on the balls of his feet, the answer, so close, so tantalizing, at his fingertips, right _in front of him_…

The man released a deep breath, and grimly rumbled out. "I'll tell you nothing, you fostered bastard child of a wolfos and leech."

The toe of a metal-spiked boot rammed into the man's gut, then stomped on his ribs, making them snap inwards into the organs. The rebel's scream turned from shrill to gurgling as blood bubbled up his throat, then he lost his teeth as the young jailer gave him a vicious kick across the jaw, making his voice ever muffled with swollen lips.

Gasping the young man stood there over the curled form of the soldier, who'd been reduced to a whimpering ball. The storm of sudden rage abated just as quickly as it came, even as he took a deep breath, thinking to himself.

_Look at what you've been reduced to_.

"I haven't been reduced to _anything_." He spat, clenching and unclenching his fists, itching for a sharp weapon to deliver a good stabbing.

_Then look at what you've _done_! Is this any way for _anyone_ to behave?_

"It's not as if he's going to die," the teen huffed, sighing and heaving the tortured man across his shoulder, frowning in discomfort as bits of rib scraped against his neck. Blood oozed down his shirt, slow and hot as lava across his skin. "Well, not _yet_ anyway."

_He's close to it. You should heal him now_.

"He'll survive, I'm sure," Link muttered, taking the steps two at a time, walking through the dimly lit corridors with familiar ease, "He seemed like a tough cookie."

_For goodness' sake why don't you ever LISTEN to me-_

"I. Told. You. To. Shut _up_!" he finally yelled, spinning on the spot. But there was nobody there. No-one had ever been there, not for six, no, almost seven years now. To the day.

He bit back a sob, rage flashing in his eyes. He gritted his teeth, spun back the way he'd been going, striding long steps, noting the pained breathing of the man he was holding.

He found himself facing a dead end. Without falter he pressed a hand against a panel in the stone wall, making relatively new mechanics click, sliding a piece of wall to slide to the side to create a long thin window that led outside.

The scorching heat of magma and the humid summer air hit him like a mallet. Coughing in disgust at the taste of metal and ash in his mouth he carefully worked the injured man into the window, sitting him up in the frame. Rolling his eyes the blond boy unhooked a flagon from his belt, uncorked it with his teeth, and made the man sip. "It's not poison," he told the unresponsive man, "It's blue potion, with some wine. I know it adds weird side-effects, but I kind of enjoy them. The hallucinations are _great _distractions trust me. You're going to need them."

He unhooked something else from his belt as he put the flagon back. It turned out to be a bottle with a fairy in it. A pink fairy, to be precise; a rare commodity indeed. "You're most definitely going to need this too, so consider this payment for your mission. Mission. I love that word."

Forcing a smile to his face the blond boy placed a hand to the slowly dying man's forehead, and shoved his consciousness into his. He forcibly planted these commands into his brain, searing them so that they burned and nagged and plagued him till he got it done:

_FIND PRINCESS ZELDA. TELL HER THAT SHE WILL BE FOUND. SOON!_

With a gasp their eyes met. But the prisoner's final effort to see who'd tormented so came to no fruition, because all he saw was a mask that resembled a skull of an imp, horns protruding forward from the temples, only bright blue eyes shining from the sockets.

And with that he shoved the man out of the window, and he dropped, dropped, and dropped even further, passing the bottom of the castle, the rocks it rested upon, the air that separated the castle from the lava, and just as he was about to drop past the ledge that continued on to the rest of the world, a strong wind scorched through the underbelly of the floating castle, shoving him onto the dusty ground, pulverising his side.

Then the bottle that held the pink fairy smashed right next to him, and it gently began to heal the poor man. The boy watched him through an enchanted mask, designed so that he could see distances away, and satisfied that the man was fully healed and functioning (and hopefully hugely mentally scarred with his numerous slips with death) he tossed a bag with a loaf of hard bread in it and walked away, closing the window.

Taking off the Skull Mask, Link climbed the stairs to meet with his father.

… … … … …

He bowed deeply before the Gerudo King, who smirked. His face was lined, and his hair was shot with lightning streaks of white. But still he emanated power from the very pores of his dark skin, the gleam in his amber eyes, the grip of his hands against the armrests of his thrown. "You've had yourself some fun, my son?"

Link looked at where the King was indicating; his blood-bright shoes, and red-soaked shirt. Sighing Link shrugged, giving a sheepish grin. He earned a whole-hearted laugh for that.

"They were indeed worthy gifts for you; I'm pleased that these have lasted you a full year. Inform me as soon as you find some imperfection in them, any rust, any scratch, and I'll have them mended and improved. I'm surprised they still fit you boy; you've been shooting up like a pillar of windblown sand."

Link bowed again, though not as deeply as before. "Thank you, Father."

"Speaking of gifts…" Ganondorf rose, clicking his fingers. A Gerudo shuffled forth clad in the purple robs a novice/servant, holding a pillow aloft, and on that pillow was a sheathed sword. She knelt before a bewildered Link, and Ganondorf invitingly waved his hand at it, wagging his eyebrows at Link. "Go on."

Link blinked in surprise, and tentatively reaching forward, grasped the weapon. He was reminded of his first gift, at how he'd received something similar to this, when he was eleven. He'd been so eager, so filled with rage and revenge he grabbed it, unsheathed it, and charged at Ganon without thinking, not having seen that the weapon had been a dud, a blade that spanned two inches above the impressive hilt, a cruel practical joke on the king's part.

He unsheathed the first two inches, but the blade continued. The metal was of good quality, and there was an engraving of what looked like a ragged autumn leaf embedded on its surface. He unsheathed another two, and the blade still continued. Awed and amazed, Link unsheathed the whole blade, wickedly sharp, the hilt fitting his hand like a friend, the engraving depicting an impressive dragon (he'd mistaken the leaf for its tail) holding a phoenix at bay, clutching the Triforce in its jaw just under the tip of the weapon.

Ganondorf seemed pleasantly surprised by the genuine awe in Link's eyes. A smile swept the young Hylian's face as he tested the blade in the air, going through a few routines of swordplay. He laughed at how the air seemed to wince as he sliced at nothing, at how easily he could manoeuvre his new toy. "It's… it's fantastic. Thank you!"

"I have a mission for you, boy."

Link shivered. A _mission_.

"As you know, in Hylian culture a boy comes to age when they reach seventeen. I thought a sword worthy for your coming of age, and a mission to go with it, in honour of your new adulthood."

Link smirked as he was handed a belt and scabbard to attach his sword to his hip, the expression eerily similar to the tyrannical king's. "What needs doing?"

Ganondorf leaned forward, placing his elbows in his knees, drumming fingertips together. "I have news from spies of Princess Zelda."

Link's grip on the sword tightened. Ganondorf's grin widened in response as he explained, "Do you remember the blue light that shone from the Temple of Time this morning?"

"I do," Link confirmed, remembering the sight had shot a shiver down his spine, conjuring the memory of when he'd first opened the door as a ten-year-old, his head suddenly found under the vice-like grip of the King. It was also how he'd found the informant's true identity; his face had been filled with _hope_.

"It seems it was a signal from one of her agents to headquarters, though I don't exactly know what it meant. The only thing for certain is that they've stolen the Master Sword."

Link frowned. "The what?"

"A trinket of lore, sacred to the Temple." Ganondorf shrugged, leaning back into his black and red thrown, "It seems the Princess is desperate enough to use it as a rallying point for her gaggle of troops, so I'd like it back. Kill whomever you need to kill. More soldiers will defect to me, once their precious weapon and morale is stolen from them."

Link nodded resolutely. "I understand."

"Get yourself armed. I wish you a good hunt."

"Thank you father."

… … … … …

Mika helped him tighten his gauntlets. Alita tied his pack with a scorpion's knot. Tarrimb adjusted the belt that now crossed his torso, fixing his sword and shield to his back, and Tsulen smoothed over his hauberk and chainmail.

Link was flushed with embarrassment. "I know I asked for help, but this is too much."

"Nonsense," they giggled in chorus, making Link grin despite himself.

Alita handed Link his things, patting him on the top of his head. She was extremely tall, and heavily muscled; her jaw always made Link jealous. "Nothing is too much for our moon-faced brother."

Link scowled at the nick-name. They knew full well how it irked him that he never tanned; only burnt and peeled.

Tsulen stood from her handiwork and laughed in pleasure, cocking her voluptuous hips to the side. "You look handsome for a skinny little Hylian, brother-ours."

Mika kissed him on the cheek with her big, full lips, making his face burn brighter. "Be safe. Try not to be over-eager when you hunt the Flea, she _is_ after all a girl."

"You mean don't under-estimate her," Link grumbled, rubbing his face.

Mika crowed that he'd finally learnt, clapping gleefully. Tarrimb, finally done fussing over the way he was to be carrying his weaponry, sighed, and turned around to hand him his helm. "I do hope this new arrangement doesn't hinder you in battle. Here," she handed him the helm as the other three grouped behind her, all smiling widely. "We remembered the hat you used to love so much, so we incorporated it into your gear."

The helm had a cap sewed on, almost as if to disguise it, and was lined with typical Gerudo crystal. The cap wasn't the original green, but a shade of reddish copper, much like his hauberk and boots. Link stared at it and then at his sisters in awe, and with a shout of glee he threw himself at them, hugging them all.

Chuckling they held as much of him as they could in return, kissing their fingertips and touching his forehead in blessing.

… … … … …

Link walked through the decimated Castle Town, experimentally cutting down some redead to test his weapon. They didn't scream, somehow retaining his icy gaze in the pits of their rotted brains, somehow understanding that their paralytic scream would only end in their slow, demeaning destruction. So they stood there and were hacked at, moaning their last into true oblivion.

Link grinned at how easily the metal cut through flesh and bone, and couldn't wait to try it out on some creatures that lived out in the field. In the middle of his slaughter he paused. He looked towards the clearing that led to the Temple of Time and chopped the last redead's head off before strolling in that direction, taking out a cleaning rag out of his pocket as he went.

Stone statues had once lined the road to it, but all of them had been shattered. He didn't think it was too much of a shame, since the fragments all looked squat and smooth, as if the statues had been simple little stumps with even simpler, almost crude engravings on them. The doors to the temple were open, as if someone had walked in and out without preamble.

Nobody had been allowed to pray here for years, especially as the town was overrun by the dead. But he found footprints in the dust, a pair coming in, the same pair going out. He compared his footprint to theirs. The footfall was lighter, and the footprint itself was smaller. The stride only slightly shorter than his, and moving as though… Link tried to copy his invisible prey, and smirked.

So. Whoever this was, he/she was lighter in weight and build, possibly younger, judging by the foot-size, but almost the same height as him (but again shorter) if the stride was anything to go by. They'd walked in carefully, the left side further forward than the other, weapon drawn most likely, calm but confident. The way they walked in was different to how they walked out; they'd pretty much run, abandoning caution, getting out of there as fast as they damn well could.

Link smiled in self-satisfaction. Ganondorf had taught him well.

… … … … …

He headed for Kakariko straight away with a sword and shield across his back, murder in his mind, and a surprisingly liberating sense of adventure in his heart.

Ganondorf hadn't given him a horse, which Link supposed was for good reason. Just because he trusted the youth to not attack him, it didn't mean Link wasn't going to escape to another land, or defect to the other side, which a horse would greatly aid him in. He was probably being tracked by guay by day, keese by night. Link shrugged and deemed it sensible.

He was going to miss his sisters, though.

The field was open, almost uncomfortably so. He liked closed spaces; first he'd been comfortable surrounded by trees, but now it was walls. He wished he had a wall to lean against, corridors to puzzle his way through, rooms to explore. He didn't like the thought that the world was so big, and that he'd have to walk so far to reach his destination.

He was going to be _exhausted_.

_But isn't it a relief to be away from that monster?_

Link nodded, reluctantly conceding the point.

_Go on, say what you want. Anything you want. You've bottled whole paragraphs up for years._

Link smiled. "I can't think of any right now."

_Piffle. You've got something. Come on, _hey_, it's easy. Say it!_

Link grinned, cupped the sides of his mouth and hollered against the sky: "_I WANT A PUMPKIN HAZELNUT CARAMEL PIE!_"

There was a brief echo, then silence. _Seriously? That's it?_

"All the Gerudo don't like pastries. Or pumpkins. They don't mind hazelnuts or caramel, but they never mix the two together! It's insane. I haven't had any sort of pie in seven years, Navi, and you know I have a sweet tooth."

The voice in his head sighed. _Oh gods, you and your sweet tooth. Sweet jaw, more like. _

"As soon as we arrive in Kakariko, I'm having a pie. I don't care what kind, but if there're sweet ones, I'm stocking up."

_Try not to spend all your money on sweets, Link_, she muttered dryly, _all else your biggest worry's going to be a hole in your molar._

Link stuck his tongue out contentedly at the air, for a companion that wasn't there to scoff at.

The day passed as he conversed with his memory of Navi more freely than he had in seven years, a mad boy talking to thin air as he travelled through the quiet, deserted countryside.

… … … … …

It was two hours before sunrise when he heaved himself up the final step of Kakariko. No wonder the denizens here felt safer from Ganon; whoever attacked would be tired out, especially if they were wearing armour, and horses would've refused to climb those precarious steps. Leaning on his knees he took a few bolstering breaths, even as two spearmen angled their weapons at him. "Show your face, stranger!"

He winced as they shone a lantern into his eyes. "Ow. Hi. I'm Hylian, if that helps."

"Your name?"

_Don't tell them it's Link, they might recognise it!_

"Shut _up_, Navi."

"What?"

Link inwardly swore. He spat to the side, and wiped his mouth apologetically, gulping. "Sorry, had something in my mouth. My name's Navi."

One of the guards repeated with a perplexed tone, "_Navi_? Odd name that."

_WHAT?_

"It's southern," Link shrugged in explanation, rolling his eyes.

That seemed to do the trick, as their demeanour relaxed, and the way they asked their next questions were less urgent (What're the weapons for? Self-protection; these are dangerous times after all. How long do you plan to stay? As long as need be) and they let him through, one of them even guiding him to the tavern. Link eagerly asked if there was pumpkin pie, and though the man laughed that it was off-season they may still have it; if not, he recommended the apple, hazelnut and caramel turnovers.

Link licked his lips. "Are turnovers made of pastries?"

"Of course, lad."

He pumped his fist and crowed: "_Sold!_"

He ordered it immediately before considering a drink or a proper meal, much to Navi's dismay. There was nobody around aside from the manager, so he retired back into the only room left, which was almost like a broom closet, barely a room at all. Any other man would've felt cramped, but Link was perfectly happy; it reminded him of his childhood. The Kokiri Forest.

"I hope this mission proves a better challenge than the others," Link sighed as he placed the lantern by the bedside table, taking off his boots, "Or else I'll be home in a week."

_What's that mask?_

Link blinked, and peered at his pack. From the top poked out a bone horn, connected to a too smooth forehead of a mask shaped like a fleshless skull. Link smiled. "Don't you remember? I got this from the Mask Salesman, after trading in the Keaton's mask. We couldn't find anyone who wanted it because it was so creepy."

_What do you use it for?_

"When Father wants me to do something on his behalf, especially when it comes to rebels, and spies, I wear this. In case I need to stop being a spy and start being an assassin, I'll need it."

Silence greeted him, making him nervous. "Navi?"

_Why do you call him 'father'?_

A cold shiver racked his spine. He knew this moment would come, but… "Because he was kind to me."

_He wiped your memory. He imprisoned you. You call that kind?_

"You know I only remembered that a couple of months ago, give me a break." Link grumbled, dragging a hand down his face. "It's not like he tortured me into a slave on top of that."

_Yeah, you do the torturing instead now, don't you, like that poor man from yesterday. Oh no, Ganonpork jerk-face didn't turn you into a slave, he just turned you into a killer instead! How many men and women did you hurt at the Sacking Of Castletown? How many Zora eggs did you arrow down from those target podiums? How many times did you spell winter clouds over Death Mountain and watch the children freeze to death?_

"Navi…"

_You're better than his slave, Link, you're his PUPPET. Read my invisible lips, grasshopper, you're a PUPPET. A puppet against Zelda, against Hyrule, against yourself! You were supposed to save the Triforce, but he stopped you and _used _you! How can you stand it and still call him FATHER? _

"Navi you don't understand you-"

_He killed me, Link! He killed me __**and you forgot!**_

"Shut up!" he hollered, throwing the pillow against the wall, tearing at his hair. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, _shut up_! Leave me alone!"

Gasping he held his head and rocked back and forth, back and forth, whimpering for quiet, for peace, even as he saw Navi in his mind glowing flashes of yellow in anger and hurt, before she slipped away into the dark recesses of his head.

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><p><strong>Confused? It's okay. It'll pass eventually. At least, I hope so.<strong>

**So, yeah, Link's a little insane in this one. The funny thing is, Sheik was supposed to be the main characer for this but I wanted to make life difficult for our characters, so yeah. It's Link that's crazy and considers Ganon as his family. **

**Please leave a review, tell me if you like it or not?**

**Have a nice new year!**

**S.S.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Admittedly,**** nothing much happens in this chapter. What basically happens is, we get a brief flashback to Link's childhood, we explore the way he thinks and works, and then get a bit of a cliff-hanger (if you can call it that) at the end. The story really picks up from chapter 3, so you guys have that to look forward to. **

**Also, there seems to be a hell of a lot of confusion, which is fair enough, so I shall be giving you guys an option:**

**If you want to read it, I'll put up an explanation to what happened to Link in this universe. I'll make it obvious by making it NOT BOLD in a sea of bold lettering, so if you want to stick to the story and work it out yourself, you can ignore it. :)**

**Anyway, thank you for coming to chapter two, and review replies are at the bottom. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter two <strong>_

He'd had a nightmare. He didn't remember it much, except sensations of cold and heat, and how they both burned against him, tearing at his innards with boiling hands, melting out his brain with icy fingers. He'd woken up screaming, and he'd found himself struggling in a bulky man's arms, kicking and fighting in horror. The man had said something, but it eluded him in his panic.

Link gasped, tears streaking down his face, snot choking him. "What, wh-what he-he-he-"

The man looked startled, but he hesitantly patted the boy's head, and it somehow calmed him. "You're a strong boy…"

He stared at the tanned man, dark as the rich soil, eyes like a hunter's. "What…?"

"You fought bravely. There was… a battle. You're safe here now, however."

Link couldn't help but touch this man's nose, because it was so large, so hooked. It made the adult grin. Shyly Link recoiled, realising it was inappropriate. "Where, where am I?"

"In my Castle. My _new_ Castle."

"Oh." He was made to stand, and he did so with some trepidation but thankfully didn't fall. Link wiped his face with his hands, once he realised that he didn't have anything to use, not even a handkerchief. Or a hat. "I… I don't remember what happened…"

"You'll be under my care. Know just that. You are now under my care."

The large man, encased in armour, shrouded in a tattered cape, extended his hand. Link suddenly felt a thrill of anxiety, and he quickly turned for friendly advice, but no-one was there to give it, and suddenly Link felt empty inside. He wanted someone friendly nearby. He _needed _it.

So he held this man's hand, and said, "I don't… I… who am I…?"

"Your name is Link. The battle was a fearsome one, but your memories should… _manifest_, given enough time.I am Ganondorf Dragmire. I'm pleased to be acquainted to you."

Link didn't know it yet, but he was going to be, too.

… … … … …

The memory had come unbidden as soon as he'd woken up, and Link said out loud, "I've been a puppet all my life, Navi. To him, after her. All because I _might_ have been brave enough to get a couple of jewels. I don't think you're being fair on me."

There was nothing but silence. Hurt, Link packed his bags, not even a whisper from his friend.

He was careful to keep the mask out of sight before heading downstairs to pay for his stay. He got two more pastries, one filled with fruit and the other with beef mince. He wolfed them both down, smiling despite himself, wondering sadly when Navi would talk to him again.

He chatted with the bar-maids and the owner about Kakariko, telling them of his own tales about the south in general detail, his knowledge fuelled by Ganondorf's spies and reports, not to mention his sisters' scrying in a mirror. Some parts brought grim faces, others brought tentative hope. He tried to subtly get them to talk of their other hopes but theirs were practical, and simple at best. Better harvest. Fewer wars. They didn't elaborate much, perhaps because they didn't trust him.

It was fair enough, but that didn't help his search at all. But the thief must either have gone through Kakariko, or the forests that'd grown unmarred by Ganondorf's reign. Personally Link would've gone through the forests, but if the thief had in his/her possession a horse, Kakariko was best, to avoid injury from the wild, and to recuperate the beast.

"Do you have any horses for sale? In this town, generally?"

"We have stables for travellers, and we buy off them if they don't want them, but none to sell."

Link's brows shot up. "Why would travellers sell but not _buy_?"

"A pregnant mare might leave a foal behind," the owner shrugged, pouring four beers out for the barmaid to take away, "A companion might die and leave an extra horse, in which case it's only a burden. Sometimes the creatures go mad, from all the horror they see out there; this country isn't kind on foreign breeds."

Link snorted. "Or they're just weak."

"Do you have a horse, sir?" the man politely enquired, stashing a whole tray of shot glasses in its respective shelf.

"No, but I was thinking of getting one." He took a swig of honeyed mead, grinning as it seeped his gut with warmth. "Have any travellers come by? Maybe they're willing to sell."

The man scratched his head, and then pointed at a youth sitting in the corner, his back to the wall. "He did maybe earlier today, through the western pass."

_Isn't that the way to the Castle?_

Link rolled his eyes and nodded an affirmative at Navi, who gasped. _Should you really confront them _now_, Link? I mean, this person might work for Zelda. Maybe she can help you!_

Link gritted his teeth at the very idea, and the barman noticed. "You alright?"

Link shook his head, clearing it, and smiled apologetically. "Sweet tooth's beginning to ache, I think. I'll take care of it, once I talk to that guy. Excuse me, and thanks for the info."

He sculled the rest of his drink and let the rupees clatter over the counter before heading over to the traveller, dragging his things with him. He knew that kind of seating well. Link called it the Paranoid Chair. With its back to the wall, one had a whole view of the room. Link grinned at the Surprise Table right in front of the stranger, with a mug of wine barely touched, and any manner of weapon hiding under the furniture.

Link indicated at the table and said, "May I?"

The stranger nodded, after a brief pause. He/she had one eye bandaged like a blindfold, and the other was slightly obscured by tassels of bright blond hair. The rest of _his_ face (judging by the unshaven beard and moustache) was beaten by the weather and time, in such a way that it reminded him of Ganondorf. Link's sense of adventure was slightly disappointed that the person in front of him wasn't wearing a billowing cloak or mantle; just a tunic and leggings, both practical shades of dark and light brown, respectively, with black boots that reached as high as his knees, and a sleeveless undershirt. The muscles of his arms were slim, but intimidating nonetheless. It was those deceptive kinds of arms that could win an arm wrestle against men as muscled as bulls on drugs.

Link grinned at the idea. "How about an arm wrestle?"

An eyebrow quirked upwards. Even his voice reminded Link of his foster-father; deep, powerful, unyielding. "Oh?"

"Maybe not?" Link chuckled, pulling up a chair and dumping himself in it. "Actually I was hoping you might sell me your horse."

"_What_?"

"Hey, I just heard that some people do that here, as crazy as that sounds," he raised his hands defensively, still smiling, "And I was just hoping that maybe you'd be one of them."

He paused, pulling his mug of wine away from Link, frowning deeply. "No. Not tonight."

"Damn. I guess I'll have to walk, then." Link extended his hand and said, "I'm Navi. Hi. What's your name?"

The man glowered.

Link sighed disappointedly, but still left him with a smile and a wave.

… … … … …

"You know," Link spoke as he wandered round Kakariko, between talking to the locals to speak of current events, "I think that guy was wearing a disguise. A good one."

_Cuz he sounded like Ganonpork jerk-face? And looked like him too?_

Link let the insult slide before continuing, "Yeah, I think so. Nobody really wanted to talk about him, except the owner guy, but he seems pretty brave. I bet he didn't want to give his name because he couldn't _think_ of one. Seriously, you're Father's double, nobody's man enough to talk to you, and _bam_, I come along. Would you have thought of a name?"

He rounded a corner and stopped, quickly leaping back again before peering round the corner. It was _him_. The man from home. The one Link'd thrown out the window after he'd beaten him to death's door.

By the gods he looked horrible. The fairy had healed his wounds, but there were scars left from when he'd smashed against the ground by the lava pit, and though his ribs were fixed, the side (thus arm) he'd landed on was mangled. They'd need to break it again to heal it so it'd function once more.

Link couldn't help but giggle. That man's injuries were truly a masterpiece.

He contemplated stepping into sight to simply jeer at him, but no, the informant was waiting next to some simple stables, a rather stout looking chestnut horse, to be exact. Link grinned. Crows flew where crows hunted. Since he knew this was one of Zelda's crows…

Another had to be nearby. He looked around, making sure no-one had seen how suspicious he'd been acting, before looking for someplace better to snoop from. He had his Hawk-eye anyway, so he opted to go farther away and climb a tree or house and watch from there. To him, with the right resolution it'd be as if he was standing right next to them.

He made quick work of it, finding the roof, finding the spy with his mask, and then waiting. Finally, after an hour of waiting and cramping his neck, a shadow shouldering a large pack arrived, and just as Link had suspected, it was the man in Ganondorf's likeness, different enough to be a stranger, similar enough to be threatening.

Grinning, Link watched.

They talked. They seemed to argue a bit, Link's spy looking worried whilst mini-Ganon looked angry. He gently placed two fingers upon the spy's brow and bowed his head. Link perked up, confused. Was that magic? Was he… viewing that man's thoughts? Link shuddered. He'd thought only the Gerudo was capable of that, and even then, on the most perverse level: to erase the mind and to control the mind. To actually be able to _read_… it was ludicrous.

After a minute both looked relieved, and after a nod they bid farewell. But Link's battered-up spy took the horse, not mini-Ganon, which Link found interesting. There were no saddlebags on the horse big enough to conceal the Master Sword (_unless the 'sword' part was simply an exaggeration placed upon a dagger, I mean, come Link, doesn't _Master Sword _have too good a ring to it as a name?_) so Mini-Ganon had to have it.

Link decided to call him simply Mini for now. Mini-Ganon just seemed too ridiculous.

He saw the horse's ears go flat against its skull as it trotted off. Link slipped off the mask and pondered quietly to himself, before tentatively whispering, "Are you talking to me now?"

_I am._ She grumbled, earning a sigh of relief from him regardless.

"So. Which should I follow? Either one could lead me to Zelda."

_I think the man on horseback's going to her. He's done his duty, he needs to see some healers after what you did to him and make some report, not to mention he has that message thing you did to him. _

"You have to admit that that was an impressive effort on my part."

_Brute_.

"I accept your compliment," he retorted, pressing the mask back onto his face to watch Mini. The man seemed to be headed for the grave-yard, which was odd at best. "I have got to say that there's no doubt in my mind that Mini is our Temple-robber."

_I think he's it, too. But Zelda-_

"Can kiss my behind." He sang, putting his mask away, "Besides, the guy's on horseback; tracking him would take forever. And Ganondorf's orders were to get the sword back, and kill the thief. Isn't it ironic he's heading for a graveyard?"

Link jumped from the building, a feral grin on his face.

… … … … …

The graveyard seemed too big for such a small village.

Link's expression smoothed from feral to forlorn, the one living creature amongst the quiet dead. Headstones lay decorated with garlands of flowers and herbs, trinkets mouldering affectionately at the foot of each name and description. He crouched and read the first one next to him, topped with carnations and thyme, bound by all sorts of string, and a band of knitting and sewing needles nestled in the dying foliage.

-In Memory Of Rain, The Best Seamstress Any Grandchild Could Hope For_-_

"At least it wasn't me who killed her." He sighed, stroking the headstone, "It was just her time."

_You don't know that._

"It still wasn't me." Link stubbornly forced out before heaving himself off his knees to stroll around the graveyard, looking for Mini. Oddly enough, he didn't seem to be anywhere nearby. Then he heard the sound of the door, and when Link turned he saw him come out of the grave-digger's hut.

Mini glanced at him as he walked past. Link inwardly gave him credit for not even pausing at the sight of him; after all, he'd been somewhere he shouldn't have been.

Link couldn't help but rib him. "_Oh_, so are you the Grave-keeper here? No wonder you're so scary."

Mini ignored him.

"Hey, hey I just wanted to thank you, for looking after my grandmother." He lied, catching up to him, gesturing at the headstone he'd been kneeling next to. "Grandma Rain, which was a stupid name for her, really, since she was like a ray of sunshine. She once made me a cap like this," he said, tapping the light brown covering of his helm, "I couldn't live without it as a kid."

Mini glowered at him as he said, "Why do you wish to bother me?"

"Cuz under that big, hard exterior of yours, I think there's someone worth knowing."

Link suppressed his grin from growing any wider; he'd caught the man's startled pause, but just as quickly it was shrugged away, taking his word as metaphorical. "You're not a member of Kakariko, are you."

Link gave an exaggerated shrug. "Oh, you know, mum married the guy grandpa didn't like, but he had nothing against us grandkids, so we got to visit sometimes. I gotta say though, I think the southern air would've been better for Granny Ray's health."

"When did she die?"

Oops. He hadn't checked that. He paused a little sheepishly before inventing, "The thing is, I don't consider her dead. I mean, I talk to her all the time, in my head. Always thinking, What would Granny Ray tell me? Ha. Anyway, seriously, what's your name?"

"Gerard."

A play on the word Gerudo, maybe? Either that or he was telling the truth, though Link highly, _highly _doubted it. This guy was making it too easy.

"Huh. So, grave-keeper. You allotted yourself a spot here already? Or are you undecided?"

Link saw that startled air about him, the same as when he'd hinted about the disguise. Interesting.

"You're a morbid one, ain't ya."

"Well, you know, nice to decide beforehand, considering these times," he shrugged, shifting his weapon subtly across his back as he casually looked around, making sure that the place was empty of witnesses, "I plan to be buried without a coffin. I'm gonna have a pocket of seeds with me, and whatever grows up the strongest will mark my grave, so that it won't fade away like a headstone."

"Interesting."

"Though I admit I'm partial towards a tree with blue flowers. What about you?" he asked, turning his gaze back to the man. It irked him that he couldn't quite see the whole of Mini's face.

"I don't plan to die just yet, young man. And I don't think you do, either." He countered, indicating his weaponry across Link's back with his head.

"You got me." Link laughed, unsheathing his sword, playfully swinging it. Mini stepped away uneasily. Wise man. "I recently received this as a gift, to go adventuring with.

"Hn. You're a mad fool and I tire of you. Leave me."

"D'aww," he sighed, turning away, gripping his weapon tightly, ready to lop off a limb or two before dragging the man to the hut for a nice long chat, "And here I thought things were getting _interes-_"

He staggered to a halt, as nobody was there. Link yelped as he tripped on a pebble, his awesome spinning attack ruined by the surprising lack of a foe, and he nearly fell flat on his face. Cursing he jerked his head this way and that, trying to find the elusive being, but he was nowhere in sight, and even as Link ran around the graveyard, looking for a shadowy glimpse of someone hiding behind a stone, a tree, _anything_ ,but nobody was there.

"You've got to be _kidding_ me."

_And that's what you get for playing with your food, oh masterful hunter. _

Link grumbled sullenly as he sheathed his sword.

… … … … …

He waited at the entrance of Kakariko for Mini to leave the town (somehow he couldn't get himself to call the stranger Gerard, he just loved _Mini_ so much better), and after he didn't do so after half a day, Link returned to the graveyard (leaving his gear in some bushes) in the hopes of tracking him.

He knelt by the scuffing in the ground that was obviously his blundered attack, and scowling, Link traced his fingertips over the ground. He travelled backwards, catching the faint boot-prints that weren't his, how they walked evenly with a gait shorter than his, like the pair in the temple of time.

He traced the footprints back to where he'd misjudged his strike (_Tripped, you mean. Admit it, you tripped_) and painstakingly followed the footprints, and because he was crouched so low and his face was veered vertically downward, he didn't see the large grave he collided straight into. "_Ow_!"

Navi giggled.

Grumbling he sat on the ground, rubbing the top of his head. The grave belonged to a man called Dampe, and it said that in life, he'd been the grave keeper.

Wait. Mini had gone into Dampe's hut. Then come out, and disappeared. Lin checked the ground again, and impossibly, a boot print was cut in half by the stone, as if it'd been dragged over it.

He'd gone into the _tomb_?

_That's really disgusting. Not to mention disrespectful!_

"Well he _is_ a thief," Link muttered thoughtfully, wincing as he stood. He marched to the hut, kicked the door open when he found that it was locked, and rummaged around till he found a diary. The last entry told of a treasure hidden in his grave, and anyone brave enough to venture in was welcome.

Link hummed, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "He's probably long gone, now. If the treasure was small he could've easily slipped into one of the caravans that went through the western pass, or hauled it through the woods."

_What I don't get,_ Navi whimpered in horror, _is why anyone would challenge a stalker into coming to their grave for a post-mortem duel._

"I think I would've _loved_ this guy." Link chuckled, closing the book and pocketing it.

_Hey! That's someone's private diary! You shouldn't take it!_

"Navi, this'll give me an interesting point of view of the last seven years…"

_You only just want to know how your new sick idol's mind works, don't you._

"Yes, well, that too."

… … … … …

Link wondered around the fields for a bit, deciding to head to Lon lon Ranch for the night. A small town had once surrounded the ranch, but because the fields were too dangerous the people had given up and moved to the borders of the fields. Link admired the family that still raised horses on their property, defying his father's rule. Link discovered that defiance was a small and pitiful one, for the owner seemed deep-seated in his favour of the Dark King.

Ingo stared at Link's face before inspecting the rest of him. Link wondered what the older man thought of the cross-shaped scar on his left temple; one slash cutting one eyebrow in two, the other trailing down from his forehead to his cheekbone. Usually people feared it, so Link often hid it under his fringe. "And who are you, soldier?"

Link took an immediate dislike to Ingo. And he vaguely remembered him from his wiped memories, and Navi _humph_ed in his head. _We didn't like him. Trust me._

"Just a traveller, looking for a thief." He shrugged amiably, smiling. "Though I doubt I'll find one here."

"If you're not looking to buy or sell anything of worth be gone with you; this land here is for breeding Lord Ganondorf's horses, not tending to the homeless or wayward drunks."

"Oh?" Link gave a feral grin, pulling up his sleeve and taking off leather gauntlets to show the scraggly man two marks, one that lay on his bracelet, which was the sun, moon, and star insignia of the Gerudo, and one tattoo inked on the palm of his hand, in the shape of a dragon gripping a Triforce in its jaw.

The man paled significantly when he saw Ganondorf's mark.

That night Link was given a good meal, simple and homely, and of good taste. Ingo looked indignant that the girl, Malon, hadn't cooked up something more exquisite and generous for him, but Link shook his hand and winked, making Ingo flinch. At his request his identity was kept secret (on the grounds that his mission known only to the king) and though Ingo preened at his supposed trustworthiness, he seemed terrified of such a burden.

Link happily chewed on the cucoo stew, Navi chuckling at Ingo's expense.

… … … … …

That night Link slipped outside and gave a soft whistle, extending his arm as if waiting for a hawk. Instead came a keese as big as a wild cat, its sharp teeth bright in the moonlight, beady eyes as green and dark as the bottom of the sea, watching him dangerously. It grabbed the bracer against his arm and hung on it, folding its cloaking wings against his body as Link tied a message for his father.

Then there was a shriek like glass shards scraping on a metal surface and Link howled as another keese rammed into the one hanging off his arm, killing it instantly. Link cursed and was about to draw his sword but he noticed that it was armoured in enchanted leather, its tail adorned with a hook to deter anything that blocked its flight path. A message hung off its tail. Link grabbed it and dread filled his heart.

It was from his sisters, and the castle was under siege.

* * *

><p><strong>Just to make it deliberately obvious: GUESS WHO MINI-GANON IS. XD<strong>

**Anyway, review replies first, thank yous next, and then the backstory of Link. :) Here goes!**

_**deikitty:**_** Hey there! Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like this! XD Though I am sort of sorry about link being evil, but he is so much fun to right as a psychopath. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and I can't wait to see what you thought of it. Have a nice day!**

_**Sale el Sol: **_**Hello! Thanks for popping over to read this, I love seeing new names on the reviews list. Uh, yeah, sorry about the confusion. It was supposed to be all suspenseful and stuff, but since you were able to stick with it maybe it was? I dunno, but thank you so much for your paience and praise. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and I look forward to seeing what you thought of it. **

_**Practically Venemous: : **_**hank you very much! I'm glad you liked it, though I am sorry to say nothing much happened in this chapter. But I promise the next one will be more exciting, and I hope to see your review again. And yay for stuff to do during class! XD**

_**Havoc's Tears: **_**Glad you liked it! XD And yeah, you've pretty much summurised Link in a nutshell with that description; well done! I hope you liked this chapter just as much, and I hope to see your review again. See ya!**

_**Me: **_**H****i Me! Yeah, it was a joy to write as well, I got go completely nuts with this Link, and will continue to do so throughout the story. yayness! And thank you for your support! I'm glad that you're sticking with it, and I'll be looking forward to your reviews as I go. Thanks again, and have a nice day!**

_**CatsGotTongue**__**: **_**Yay! And sorry that it's not Blue Pearls, I've been in a psychotic mood rather than a romantic one, so I'm basically going for the story with more juices flowing. but I'm glad you're enjoying this fic just the same, and I think you're the first one who likes crazy Link. XD Hurrah to the crazy!**

_**Darkwolflink1: Y**_**eeeaah, Navi's dead. Yet she still finds a way to be as annoying and pestering as all hell. I'm sorry to say that nothing much happened in THIS chapter, but wait till you get to chapter three! XD That thing was so much fun to write. :P**

_**Maneki Neko: Indeed, **_**Link is completely and utterly messed in the head! Though it is a shame that Navi died, but it was necessary, so yeah. But she still lives on in spirit? Also, here's the update, and I hope you enjoy. :)**

**Thanks for putting this on story alerts guys!  
><em>CatsGotTongue<br>deikitty  
>forgedinparchment<br>Havoc's Tears  
>kellie-rose<br>LEva114  
>Practically Venemous<br>Sale El Sol_**

**_And Thanks for putting into favourites:  
>Havoc's Tears<br>Pokepikachu1  
>Ruler of Shadows<em>**

**_And finally LINK'S BRIEF BACKGROUND SUMMARY!_**

**_If you don't want to see it just skip down to the review button, kay? XD_**

When Link put in the Spiritual Stones and was about to pull the Master Sword out, Ganondorf caught him, put him to short sleep, then grabbed the Triforce for himself. Then, capturing Link in order to find out where Zelda is hiding, tries to get him to talk. Failing that, Ganon kills Navi to weaken Link's state of mind, and get Twin Rova to go through his brains to see if he knows anything. The process should've killed him, but it didn't, it just wiped his memories, so Ganon took him in. If I tell you more it won't be so interesting, so yeah. But that's how it is.

**And here Link's backstory ends.**

**Look down, **

**Look down, **

**Look down, **

**And click. **

**;D **


	3. Monster's Gaze

**Lol, I think this is the first chapter that has a proper name. **

**Anyway, here's an update! I hope you like it!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Monster's Gaze<strong>_

Link charged back towards the main part of the ranch, hollering as he ran. "Ingo! Ingo show me your fastest horse, now!"

There was a yelp from the barn, and Link hurried in, and there was Malon, just waking up from a pile of hay. "Sir, what-"

"I need your fastest horse."

"But-"

Link forced himself to slow down; he was used to people taking his orders, especially around the castle. Nobody knew who he was here, nobody understood his importance.

_Importance my non-existent behind, _Navi snapped, making Link growl.

"I got a letter from my family nearby. There's a crisis. I need a horse to avert it. Please, your fastest horse, _now_. I'll give it back, I'll pay, it doesn't matter. I just need one _now_!"

Any other woman would've refused and asked for verification, but Malon seemed tired, not to mention highly displeased at being disturbed. She hadn't been sleeping, he noticed; she was wearing riding crops. "Third stall, the chest-nut mare, her name is Epona. _Epona_!"

The horse in question whinnied, sounding also highly displeased. She was still saddled and ready to go, just barely settled in.

"Take her, she's the fastest by miles." She whumped back into the hay, saying nothing more.

"You're a godsend," Link told her hurriedly before striding towards the mare, and if he'd turned Malon over he would've seen the huge smug smile painting her tired face.

… … … … …

Getting her out of the barn was one thing, getting on her was a totally different matter. Epona was kicking and screaming no matter how much Link coaxed her into shutting up, and Navi was beginning to hum a tune that was beyond annoying and was aggravating his already frazzled nerves.

"Stop that!"

_Me or her?_

"Both of you!" he snarled, not noticing Malon staring at him from the upper barn window, "I do not need two females messing with me when I have other things on my mind, like helping my gods' damned sisters!"

_But they're not your sisters, not really._

"Will you please leave your guilt-tripping for later and _help me_!"

_Hum the song, then. _She grouched, sinking into silence.

"What-" he dodged two hooves aimed for his head and he cursed, shoving two fingers to his lips to make a note, the first note of that annoying song.

The horse stopped shrieking.

Link paused. The horse's ears fell flat against its skull. Link hastily blew on the second note, wonder colouring his eyes as the horse became amazingly docile. He tried three notes, repeated them, and when he faltered Navi helped him out. He vaguely remembered learning this tune, and how the horse in front of him, smaller than it was now, pranced and whinnied happily in his memories.

Hissing in victory Link swung into the saddle and kicked her into a trot, then gallop, leaping over the closed fence of the ranch before thundering through the fields, his old friend Epona shrieking a war-cry as they went.

… … … … …

Whoever was trying to run down the castle had blown the main gate open with canons and traversed the space between the lava pit and the floating fortress with a large trunk of a tree. Link didn't understand how they'd managed to do that, but none-the-less Link charged up the trunk, leaving Epona gasping with foam at her mouth, roaring in rage as he entered battle.

He cut down a Hylian soldier with ease and then clashed with another man, the sword edges grinding against the other. Link broke off and stabbed and the man took the blow with his shield; Link kicked the shield with a hooking motion, effectively pushing the shield away from the man's body, and punching his jaw to disorient him Link jabbed his weapon into his chest. Pulling it out, Link headed straight for the throne room.

His sisters would be protecting Ganondorf, and their father was always in the throne room. Link took one of the passageways that littered the castle, mostly for servants to go about unnoticed, sometimes for spies who went about their business. It was dark, and dusty, and he tripped and his throat was raw from the running and the stale air. When something (or some_one_) collided with him it was a complete and utter surprise.

Then pain exploded like sparks birthed by hot scraping metal, and Link gave out a guttural cry. He dropped his sword and his arms when to his ribs, where blood rivered over his fingers. "Brother!"

It was one of his sisters; he couldn't recognise which one, especially since the torch she held obscured her face in shadow. One thing for certain was that it _wasn't _Alita, since the silhouette was too short. Link gave another wordless cry, unable to utter proper words.

"Tar! Watch him!" with that Tsulen ran straight after the braggart that'd stabbed him, and Tarrimb knelt by him to heal him.

"What… who…"

"The siege was just a distraction," Tarrimb spat, tearing at his gear to be able to see the elusive wound, "We had a thief in our midst for sands know how long, and he stole what he was looking for and used that siege of suicidal dunderheads to confuse us!"

"Father must be-" Link choked as Tarrimb found the wound. "A-angry."

"Angry would be a poor description," she muttered, finishing the procedure. The mark would be red in the morning, and still ache, but at least it no longer threatened his wellbeing. "Two robberies in two days were beyond what his pride could take."

"What was stolen, exactly?" Link whispered, wincing as he got back on his feet, freezing when she replied,

"I don't know, but it was blue, and it was in a shape of a teardrop. Do you think it was a jewel? Something magical?"

No. No, he knew exactly what it was. It was an instrument. An Ocarina. _Zelda's Ocarina_!

With a roar Link chased after Tsulen and the thief, rage almost blinding him. That instrument was supposed to lure that Princess here! That instrument was part of his reason of being where he was, and once that thing had spent its purpose he intended to _break it_, and this thief, this bastard who knew nothing of his plans was _taking everything from him_!

Link found and overtook Tsulen, who had deeps cuts on her left arm and right thigh. He shouted at Tarrimb to look after her twin as he hurtled on through a side-door of the passageway, arriving at one of the levels the suicidal insurgents had breached. They were letting one of their men escape.

Link didn't give them a chance. He ducked, hacked at knees, kicked them with his iron boots, and bashed his bracers against their flimsy shields, Gerudo silver winning over the brittle wood. He swathed a path through the men, leaving behind a trail of slick red and a sea of screams, and Link charged onward, his mind set on murder.

Ganondorf joined him on his chase. "Is this your thief?"

"He is _now_!" Link spat, jumping down the stairs, jerking around corners, breathing like a bull. He caught glimpses of blue dashing round corners, a blond whip of braided hair smacking behind the thief. He barely fought, simply just ran, avoiding the onslaught of Gerudo servants and monster slaves at every turn.

It was at the hall that he and his father finally caught up with the bastard. The hall was so filled with monsters that the creature that'd ran as swiftly as thought now waded through battle, using knives, lots of knives, and bodily moves Link couldn't help but admire and curse at. It didn't help that the monsters were simple dumb animals, barely reacting, much less predicting, what the next move the stranger could make.

Link hollered and charged forward again, and they parted for him, knowing their master's kin.

The stranger was at the door. He didn't even turn, didn't look back, not even when it was evident that his and his troops' haphazard drawbridge had toppled into the magma below. He jumped and Link lunged, trying to grab his shirt, his foot, any part of him, but his fingers missed by a hair's breadth and the thief dropped.

He put the instrument to his lips and, calmly playing a short song, disappeared in bright yellow fairy-lights that whisked themselves away.

Ganondorf skidded to the edge of the doorway and roared in outrage: "_No_!"

"I'll kill him," Link promised, before jumping over the edge, feeling Ganondorf's magic solidify the air below him into a slide, letting him soar down in an arch to the ground. Link jumped and landed and used his momentum to continue sprinting, whistling that tune Epona liked to gain her attention.

That thief had turned mid-air to play. Link had seen him twist to avoid the heat and sight of the magma, and Link had glimpsed the colour of his eyes, and that was all he needed.

_Red_. Like the eyes of a monster.

… … … … …

After returning Epona to Lon lon ranch and buying a horse that he was more willing to drive to the ground if need be, Link galloped to Kakariko to meet with Dampe's ghost. The maze was easy, and all Dampe had really wanted was a person to chat with. The best part was, secrets and promises held no sway once you were dead: Link got all the information he could've hoped or dreamed for.

Link exited the catacombs of Dampe's crypt via a passageway in the back of the windmill. At least this explained how the Sheikah had eluded Link in his escape; he must have climbed up one of the topmost windows and then scaled the roof to head to the pass that led to Castletown, a winding but friendlier route for horses.

Link went into Dampe's hut, found a bowl, and filled it with water. He uncorked a vial and spooned out some of his dried blood, mixing it into the water. "Father?"

The blood formed a circle on the surface, and Ganondorf's face glowered through it. "Yes?"

"I think our thief is the Hero of Time."

Ganondorf's face contorted and he immediately exploded into a roaring shout. "_What_? What game is _this_? If this is your idea of a joke-"

"I'm sorry. Let me rephrase," Link appeased, making his father's apoplectic expression smooth into a simple scowl, "I think our thief _thinks_ or _hopes_ he is the Hero of Time. Either that or he's aiding another nutter with similar thoughts. Or else they wouldn't steal the Master Sword."

"What do you know of that Sword?"

"Enough to help me." Link shrugged, leaning down. "I found a man willing to talk of the legends. Apparently there are Temples scattered across Hyrule, and the Hero supposedly has to awaken sages within them. Do you know of them?"

Ganon spat. "They were hardly Temples of worship, but more along the lines of armouries. I sacked and cursed them, and they shall stay that way."

_I bet you would've been proud of that, before you remembered me._

Link twitched, but said nothing except, "I have an idea, father."

"I'm listening."

"I've heard that typically Heroes save innocents, even when it hinders his plans. So, let's hinder them." Link grinned, his hand itching for his blade. "Let _me_ hinder his plans. He'll come right to me. We can nip this in the bud."

"I have an improvement to make on that plan," the Gerudo man smiled, slowly, as the pleasing element of his idea wafted through his brain. "I prefer that you remain hidden, at least to the Hylian populace. The Gorons and Zoras I've cut off from one another, so I doubt that stories of you would have spread. If I'm to be this so called Hero's target, then _I_ shall do the hindering, my son."

Link scowled petulantly. "That leaves me doing what, exactly?"

"I will return you to your old duties, that of spying."

Link rolled his eyes. "But _father_…"

"You spy on the Hero of Time. Watch him. Guide him, almost. Gain his trust, and perhaps you will find Zelda. If he succeeds through the trials I have in store for him, I suppose I owe him a proper duel. But if not, then that would be that to Zelda's hope. If you happen upon the Flea before the Hero's demise, watch her. Gain _her_ trust as well. And once the Hero is dead, you may have her. Do as you wish. And good hunting, my son. I await your next report eagerly."

Link nodded before cutting off connection by slicing the blood-circle with his fingertip, then tipping the water all over the floor.

_I can't believe it_.

Link winced as her voice reverberated in his skull like a death knoll. "Navi, please…"

_You know how evil he is as a man; he murdered Zelda's family and servants in cold blood, he brought sickness to one of nature's deities, killed another, nearly starved a whole populace, and that was when you were ten! He's had seven years of atrocities stacked on him, yet you still consider him someone worth _loving_? He's a monster!_

"Then what the hell am I, Navi?" Link spat, exiting Dampe's old hut, "What the hell am I, who helped him drive people here, emptied the fields of villages, betraying those that'd cared for me."

_You were controlled, you were being used! You're the victim, the prisoner. You should free yourself of Ganon; help bring balance back to the land. That was what we were headed to do, remember? Or already have you forgotten what you owe the Deku Tree?_

Link gritted his teeth. "I owe the Deku Tree just as much as I owe Ganondorf."

Navi's voice ceased, but when it returned it boiled in outrage. _Don't you dare put those two together on the same scale. Don't you DARE!_

"What difference do you see?" Link demanded, startling people he walked past as he argued with himself, "They both took me in at my weakest, both taught me lessons that have been useful to this day, and both of them have betrayed me as badly."

_What can be as bad as my _death_?_

Link gritted his teeth and waited till no one was around before saying, "He kicked me out. _You all kicked me out_! For nothing I had no control over, for reasons that were beyond me, every last one of you kicked me out of the only home I knew! I thought I was going to _die_ as I stepped out of the forest. Or do you not _remember_ how sick I felt when night fell, when the stalchildren attacked me, when I thought I was in _hell_!"

He stormed down the stairs that led to the fields, fuming, clenching his fists till his knuckles were white. "Anything else you want to add, Navi? Because if you hadn't noticed, if I wasn't following Ganondorf's orders right now, we would be _nowhere near_ finding your precious Zelda."

_It wasn't everyone._

He sighed and exasperatedly moaned, "What are you _talking_ about?"

_Not everyone kicked you out. Saria tried to stop you. She gave you her blessing, remember?_

Link stopped halfway down the stairs, the image of a girl with green hair bursting in his mind's eye. He remembered her hugs, her warm giggles, and her wise smile. Suddenly it was as if she was standing in front of him, waving sheepishly in greeting. He hadn't seen her in so long…

Link hesitated. "But… will she remember me?"

_She has to. It's you we're talking about._

Link bit his lip, but making his tentative decision he trotted down the rest of the stairs to get his new horse (Anton was his name) and galloped to the entrance to the Lost woods.

… … … … …

Getting in was easy, but Link knew from experience that getting out would be a nightmare. He left Anton at the border where the forest was relatively ordinary, his packs tied to the tree trunk next to him. Taking his sword, shield, and a day's food and water, he took a few steps and looked back. Anton was nowhere in sight. Though he'd taken care to step on mud, there were no footsteps either.

Link closed his eyes and listened.

He stood there, listening to birds and insects and the rustle of the trees. Impatience made him take a single step further but didn't take another, as he felt the lip of a cliff under his toe, waiting smugly for his final step. He listened even more carefully, and then he heard music. Grinning he followed it, and no root or stone or animal barred his way. He remembered doing this a lot. He'd never gotten lost as a result, completely in sync with the magic of the surroundings.

"Oi!"

Link jumped to a halt, and before him stood a child. He frowned. He was Kokiri. There was something about the freckled face… "_Mido_?"

"What? Oi, hey! How'd you know my name?"

"You're… you're the same." Link felt the blood drain from his face, as he took in the boy that'd been taller than him, the one that'd tormented him for being a half-blood. A ghost. "You haven't aged."

"Who are you?" Mido gritted out, snarling.

"Navi…" he was talking to himself, waiting for an explanation from the fairy. There was no reply.

Link was about to explode at the voice in his head, to explain things to him _right now_, but Mido stepped forward, peering into Link's face. "You're Navi? But I thought you disappeared. With that Hylian, Link. How've you grown so powerful so soon, anyway?"

_Tell him it was because we went outside. Because we survived we grew strong. _

Link, hands shaking, did as was told. Mido frowned. "And that kid, Link?"

Link swallowed before repeating what Navi had said: "Died."

Mido sniffed, and sighed regretfully. "Damn. Things aren't looking good. Things are, actually, really bad now. We could use a Hylian like him around. He was friendly."

But you weren't, Link couldn't help but think, the animosity in his upturned memories burning fresh in his heart as if he'd been ten only yesterday, pushed into the lake by the very same Kokiri. Mido shifted fretfully before bursting out, "Saria's at the Temple."

Link froze again. "Why? What happened?"

"The Temple suddenly started screaming; we all heard it in our dreams, but Saria was the only one who knew it like a home, so she told us to stay put while she checked it out. I… I came to make sure she was okay, but she wouldn't let me come any closer, saying that it was too dangerous. And I can't get back to the village since it got overrun by monsters just as I left! I put some wards up so that nothing can come in or out without permission, but…"

Link finally noticed the small mushrooms that ringed where Mido stood, the charms and runes scattered and carved round the fungi adding to the power of the fairy circle. It was a good ward.

"You look powerful, Navi. Maybe you could check on Saria for me? See if she's alright?"

Link sighed. "I'll… see what I can do for Saria."

Awe shone through his face, and Mido hastily picked a charm from the ground, breaking the circle, letting him step over it. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Link stepped over the mushrooms, careful to not break the circle even more, as Mido replaced the charm to rekindle the protective magic. He paused, and turned around. "I could hurt you, you know. I could make you hurt just like Link did."

Mido paled, but stood up straight with defiance in his eyes, placing his shaking fists onto his hips, chest puffed out. "Go on, then. But if you hurt me, you have to promise that you take care of Saria. Please…" he added, even as his posture shrivelled, and fear crept into his muscles.

Link couldn't help but smile in pity. He raised his hands, slowly, to not frighten the child. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just… I never knew you were so brave."

"Me? Brave?" a tremulous smile crept over his lips as pinkness bloomed over his cheeks. "Heh. Not as brave as Link or Saria, though."

Link shrugged in response before entering the glade of the Sacred Meadow.

… … … … …

Traversing the maze had been annoying at best. Moblins were brutes that were nothing more than nuisances, if you only just knew how to deal with them. Link ignored the final one that blocked the way, unnaturally large with a similar sized club. He simply dodged the blows and slipped past its huge leg; when it didn't see him anymore it gave a puzzled pause, before returning to his duties of glaring for intruders.

Link rolled his eyes and carried on. And immediately stopped.

A tree stump. A large one. It had never occurred to Link as a child, but he wondered who'd cut it. It must have been some poor idiotic sod, and a determined one at that; the forest would've felt such a large tree dying, and would've hit back at the logger with nightmares and illness. The fact that he'd resisted and continued cutting was a testament to the perpetrators' strength of will. Unless the logging had been done even before the forest was old (which must've been _aeons_ ago) and the forest's blow had come at the last moment, killing him and the tree at the same time.

It was the tree-stump that Saria had often sat on, playing her ocarina. Link remembered she'd given him one, but didn't like thinking about what happened to it. Ganondorf probably smashed it to pieces.

_Because he's a monster._

"And I was his prisoner, not his son. Not yet," he murmured, his eyes following up to where a stone entrance opened like a maw, the remnants of a stone staircase crumbling to an end at a haphazard angle way above the height Link could jump. He saw a branch extending from a young sapling (at least, young in the forest's eyes) that ended at a reachable distance from the entrance. One part of it was damaged, as if a hook had dug into it a few times.

_It must be the damage from a hookshot_.

"Mm," he replied, biting his lip, searching for another way in. He couldn't quite climb the trees, there were no vines on the ancient walls that he might be able to clamber onto, nor were there conveniently friendly and giant birds willing to take him flying up-_holy damn_!

An owl as big as _he_ was, was staring from that hookshot damaged branch. It cocked its head at a right angle, making Link think that the bird had manically snapped its own neck. Then it said with a deep, cavernous voice: "Is that hyou Link?"

Link shivered, and replied wryly, "I'm officially insane, aren't I."

"So it is hyou," it hooted gravely, extending its wings and puffing itself up menacingly, "Hyou, a betrayer, born of good stock with the bravest of hearts, who could've saved the hworld."

"Do I even know you?"

It shrieked like a falcon and rushed at him, giving Link enough time to only raise his hands for his weapons. The owl grabbed them and hauled him up bodily, and Link screamed as one of its talons—thick as his sword-hilt, sharp as knives—pierced and scraped bones just above his wrist. Blood gushed over his head as Link desperately tried to ease the burden that was his weight, his other uninjured arm taking on the force of gravity against his body as he soared over the ancient trees of the Lost Woods.

Link looked down, and horror rocked his core, because they were heading straight for a tree dark with decay as a redead would be, a small meadow blooming to its side like a smiling moon. He knew exactly where that was.

"No. _No_! Stop!"

Too late, the owl dived again, adding new pain to his arm, and Link could only scream in agony and be bodily thrown against the ground, where the moss did nothing to cushion his landing. In fact Link howled as the shield he carried on his back shifted and wedged its edge against the ground and his ribs. He could've sword he heard his bones grind and pop.

Gasping he rolled onto his uninjured side, and was faced with the dead Deku Tree, its body seeping rotten sap, skultulla nesting in its withered branches. A sob tore out of his throat.

"Why did you _bring_ me here?" Link growled, hearing Navi keening in his mind, mourning at the sight of the Great Father, glaring at the owl that sat far above him, away from his murderous intentions.

"To have hyou look at hyour Father. The being hyou betrayed for power."

"Don't you pull that with me," he gritted out, pushing himself up with his uninjured hand to fumble for a potion, anything. Then he saw that it'd rolled from the clip on his belt when he'd fallen, shattering in the grass. Great. "I'm not even Kokiri. I'm not one of _them_."

"And are hyou Gerudo? Are hyou of his men?"

"_Women_. Get the gender straight, you mad bird," Link snapped, "And they're my family now."

The owl bristled up menacingly, and Link readied himself to run. But the owl just glared and boomed: "Choose hyour lot hwisely, one who hwas destined."

And with a mighty swing of his wings the owl soared into silent flight.

… … … … …

Link chewed on the kawa weed's heart shaped fruit, its sweet flesh running juice all over his chin and cheeks. It made him laugh, despite himself.

He realised as he sat against a rock that he'd missed this place. The cavernous halls of green-and-gold light, the songs of birds and the sighs of insects. He'd missed the glow of fireflies, even the menacing cracks of monstrous paws stepping on dry wood. Life pulsed here, as true as the blood that flowed in his body, and he could almost hear it strumming along with the music of magic.

He preferred the day here much more than Ganondorf's continuous night at the castle.

He checked his wound, one he'd wrapped with boiled kawa leaf, soaked with what little red potion that'd splashed on the weeds by accident. The pain was dulling and he could almost feel the puncture scabbing over; it was a shame not many knew about its healing properties. But then again, maybe it was for the best. He could imagine hordes of villagers tearing the weed up for its use, hunting for every last sprig until it died out. Once he was full and the wound was utterly numb, Link planted its seeds in soft soil, and hoped that it'd come back.

_So are you going back to Saria now?_

"No, I don't think so." Link said, turning away from the freshly turned earth, "I don't think I can go back without butting into Mido, and I remember his tantrums; he'll accuse me of running away and I'm not going to tolerate that. I'll see what I can do for the village; he _did_ say that it was overrun."

_By Ganondorf's minions_.

"We don't know that."

_He's been using monsters for years, now! Why _wouldn't_ they be Ganondorf's louts?_

"Because the Deku Tree died, and it was probably him that protected the village. The wards would've faded over the years, but now it's probably spent."

_The monsters on the fields, then?_

"Hylian soldiers did the patrolling for those things," Link retorted, rolling his eyes at the obviousness of it all, "And since Ganon's looking after his own affairs I doubt he has the time or resources to throw us at these things. If you ignore them they're mostly harmless anyway."

A muffled voice drifted over the meadow. "Why are you talking to yourself?"

Link froze. He turned back, but all that stood there was dead Deku Tree. Link paled. "Who's there?"

Something twitched on the ground. Link cautiously approached it, sword drawn with his right hand. It wasn't his dominant side, but it would have to do considering the damage the owl had wrought on his arm. "Where are you?"

"I am here. Just give me a moment…" went the muffled voice, and the twitching thing on the ground shivered, and Link jogged over to it to see what the creature was.

He found two fat leaves.

He leaned down, utterly bewildered. Dirt erupted in his face and he lunged back startled, coughing when he felt something like a _worm_ clogging his throat. And he swallowed it. Retching in disgust Link clutched at his throat even as the eruption subsided and something big and brown popped up. "Hello! I'm the Deku Tree."

_What? _Navi shrieked indignantly, _How dare he! He's not even a… a…_

"You're just a sprout," Link hacked, giving up on getting the wriggling thing out of his gut and concentrating on keeping the contents of his stomach _in_. "And you sound nothing like him."

"_Link_! My goodness it _is_ good to see you. And, yes, I am a sprout. I have got to say it took longer than expected for my heart to transfer into my new seed, not to mention growing out into the world…"

The Hylian scowled. "Link was a Kokiri. I'm a Hylian."

"No. Link was a Hylian that we took in and raised as Kokiri. That's you."

"What was his fairy's name?"

"Navi. I sent her to you myself."

"What was the first thing you made him do?"

"…Go inside my body, and vanquish the Gohma that'd infected me. Are you done testing me now, Link? Will you talk to me properly?"

The young man sighed. He sat down, swallowing, before nervously murmuring, "Hi."

"That's a start I suppose." The Deku sprout huffed, though not unkindly. "I see you've figured out that you weren't, well, of the people, so to speak."

"I grew older. They didn't." Link muttered, rolling his eyes, "It seemed obvious."

"I suppose you're wondering how you arrived here. I must assure you that we didn't kidnap you, though, you were brought into our forest. Your father, or I think it was your father. He was armed, and, he wanted me to look after you whilst he went looking for your mother. Apparently she'd gotten injured, and to protect you, he'd been forced to leave her behind. We've been waiting for their return, but, we may have to fear-"

There was a glow of green light from a few feet away, and the Deku Tree came to a startled stop. "What? But, weren't _you_ the one that freed the Temple?"

Link blinked. "What do you mean freed…?"

A person materialised out of the green light as if deposited there by ethereal forces, slim, muscled, and clad in royal blue. A white tabard emblazoned with a blood-red crying eye was the first thing Link saw, then the face-mask that extended from it, the fringe that slid over it, framing tanned skin.

And a red eye, like a monster's.

* * *

><p><strong>Dun, dun, duuuuuuun.<strong>

**Yup. You know how has arrived! XD**

**I think my story's already developing a pattern: A mellow chapter, an exciting chapter, a mellow chapter, and exciting again. Cuz the next one is less action based and is more, hmm, thought based? It develops up to the awesomness that is chapter 5. Seriously, I put a LOT of effort into that chapter. You'll LOVE IT (I hope).**

**Anyway, review replies!**

_**kibasgirltsumi: **_**T****HANKS! XD**

_**deikitty: **_**I**** hope this chapter was up to your expectation, and that you liked it. :) **

_**Icy Saphire15: **_**Yay! Yeah, I felt like writing an adventure instead of a romance for a change, so here it is! Like MD was mostly/purely romance, this will mostly/purely adventure. And angst. And crazy. Not to mention the tormetning of characters cuz i just LOVE doing that. XD As for Mini being Sheik, you shall find out! **

_**Practically Venemous:**_** Me****h, you don't exactly have to know all the characters to understand this story, since it'll be all about Link. Knowing the main ones from Ocarina of Time does help, though. :P That is the curse of fanfiction, unfortunately. And thank you for your praise; I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much. **

_**CastGotTongue: :**_**Oh good, I love knowing I entertain people. XD Thanks again, so much, for the review, and I hope you liked this chapter as well. :)**

_**TwilightWakerofTime**_**: Yay! Glad to know you've enjoyed my other fics too. I personally recommend Masked Dreams, and I really don't think you should touch Army of Three and a Half. Seriously, that was the first fic I ever wrote on this site and in hindsight I really don't like it, lol. And yes, I will slowly but surely reveal Link's past to you, so stay tuned! And till that happens, I hope you enjoy this fic. :)**

_**darkwolflink1: **_**: Yeah, I tried to make up for it with this one, I hope it was long enough this time. :P As for Blue Pearls, I DO intend to update, but really, the juices ain't flowing. I'm sad to say I'm in a psychotic mood rather than a romantic one, so here this is. And yes, Sheik is going to be in this one. Link and Sheik, in my mind, are forever connected. :P Though s/he may be replaced by Navi/Midna/Fi. Glad you like it! And I hope this chapter was to your liking too. **

_**Havoc's Tears**_**: Thanks! I'm glad Link's turning out to be an interesting read. XD And your guess on Mini's identity shall be revealed further on in the story! Woot! Anyway I hope you liked this chapter too, and I look forward to seeing your review again, crappy internet or not. XD**

_**RaeyaKimani: **_**Thank you for your praise! I hope you continue enjoy Link and his utter insanity as the story continues. XD **

**Also:**

**Thanks for favouriting:  
><em>kibasgirltsuimi<br>ttme123  
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><em>Kiki Nice<br>ttme123  
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**See you guys in the next chapter, which involves everybody's favourite Volvagia. XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**So here it is! The Next Chapter.**

**Yes, that is what I call my chapters when I'm writing them. And for this story, I don't seem to be able to figure out any good chapter names, so yeah, unless I have strokes of brilliance occasionally the chapter names will stay thus. :P **

**Anyway, enjoy! Review replies are at the bottom. **

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Chapter<strong>_

They immediately drew their weapons and angled them at each other.

_No_! Navi pleaded in his ears, making him wince, _not in front of the Deku Tree! Please!_

Link did as he was asked, staying his hand from actually swinging, which was very, _very_ hard. His sword was only a hair's breadth from clashing with the newcomer's knife, a long, single edged weapon that was elegant in its simplicity. Instead Link studied the being with a monster's eye, and was generally happy with what he saw; a muscled figure in royal blue, sharp knives in hand (one pointing at Link, the other ready to follow at a moment's notice), face mostly hidden by cloth and fringe. Whoever this was, he was the one Link had been looking for.

He was the one who had the Ocarina.

Link carefully cocked his head, peering quizzically at the stranger. "You're a Sheikah."

"So?" was the testy reply.

"What's a Sheikah doing in the Lost Woods?"

"I could ask the same of you, Hylian."

Gods he really loved the way the Sheikah spoke. Ambidextrous, sharp as his weapon, yet blunt and to the point. "I'm visiting old friends, actually. The name's Navi." He gave the Deku sprout a sneaky wink to keep him quiet before adding, "What's your name?"

"I have no reason to tell you."

"Then how am I going to introduce you to this Sprout here?" Link teased, fully enjoying how he was winding the Sheikah up. "Sprout, this is threatening person. Threatening person, meet Guardian of the Forest and all who live in it, reborn to live a few more aeons. Now, shouldn't you lower your weapon? You _are_ in the presence of a _very_ peaceful deity."

The Sheikah looked as if he was about to argue, but said sprout piped up, enquiring excitedly, "Could you possibly be the one that cleansed the Temple?"

The red-eyed youth hesitated before nodding. His eye never left Link. "I did, yes."

"Does…" awe sung in the sprout's voice. "Does this mean that you are the Hero of Time?"

The Sheikah snorted. "No, not in a million years."

"What _is_ going on, by the way, anyway?" Link butted in, earning another glare, "Hero of Time, Temples screaming, the Kokiri getting overrun by monsters… seriously. What is up with this country? Also, where in Din's _name_," he lashed his sword against the knife, making the Sheikah lunge backwards. Link quickly lowered his sword and angled it so that Ganondorf's engravings weren't visible, and to rest his arm from holding the weapon with his right hand for so long. "Is _Saria_?"

Knife still held up, ready to attack him, the Sheikah's gaze flicked between him and sprout, and he quietly asked, "Can this man be trusted?"

"He can," the Sprout replied at length, making Link nod in thanks. "I take it that you met with her?"

The Sheikah nodded, slowly, dangerously, uncurling from his battle-stance to stand upright. "A child named Saria spoke to me once Ganon's Shade was defeated. She's now with the Sages."

"So she's safe?" Link asked, unable to suppress his anxiety, "She's well? She hasn't lost a limb or something?"

An amused snort left the Sheikah. "No. Nothing of the sort."

"Okay. That's good." Link bit his lip, relief softening his expression. "So, can you lead me to her? I've missed her green hair, I have got to say. I can finally ask her how she gets that colour."

There was an uncomfortable pause on the stranger's side, and the Sprout gently cut into the conversation. "Clearly there needs to be some explaining. Stranger, I thank you for helping my people. I take it that you have some duties to attend to?"

A relieved nod and thanks drifted from the Sheikah before adding, "Is there a Gossip Stone nearby?"

The Sprout told him there should be one somewhere around his roots, so he went looking whilst Link was bidden to sit before the Deku Sprout, to listen to a story about the Sages.

The Sages were the Wise that looked after the Temples, and in each generation one capable of being a Wise One was born, until they took up the mantle. Once they accept the duties of a Sage, those bearing that title ceased to exist in the material world, away from mundane needs, to fully dedicate their being to the tasks of the Wise. Their souls lived on forever, attaining Wisdom beyond those of mortals, to help and support Balance within the world.

Link digested this slowly, rolling his tongue inside his mouth. "So, I can't visit her. She's pretty much _dead_ to this world."

"She isn't dead, Link, merely-"

"I'll never speak to her, never hear from her, never see her, till _I_ drop dead. She's gone. She can never come back. That's what you're saying, right?"

The Sprout hesitated before conceding, "Yes."

"Then she might as well be dead." A cold ache settled at the pit of his chest, and his eyes stung. He clenched his fists, sucking on his teeth. "Why did it have to be _her_? Why did it happen in the first place? Who's benefitting from her doing this? I just, I don't…"

There had to be some legitimate _reason_, surely. He'd lost Navi, now Saria, and he barely remembered either of them. "Just… why…?"

"She is needed because of the evil tearing at this land. Princess Zelda needs all the support she can-"

The rest of the sentence faded away. Princess. Zelda. Two words, a title and a name. That was all it was, but it kindled a powerful flame in Link's gut. Again, because of her, he was losing. _Losing_. Link had never liked losing, not even as child, even before Ganondorf had trained him to be as vindictive and vengeful as he was now.

Zelda was going to pay for this…

"Link… what happened to her? To Navi?"

Link jumped, and gave a brittle laugh that would've sent chills crawling down even the bravest of men's spines. "She died. She's dead, dead and gone, and I've been… coping."

"Where were you… coping… all these years?"

"Places. Not here. Anywhere but here."

_You call forgetting me _coping_? Goodness, what a hoot. _

Link winced, but centring himself he asked bluntly: "I need to find Zelda. Do you know where I can find her?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. I _did _just wake up, so to speak."

"Would Sheik tell me, do you think?"

"What makes you think _that_?" his voice called from the original Deku tree's form, clambering over the towering buttresses of his roots. He crossed his arms, leaning against the trunk. "I don't trust you. At all. Liar."

Each short sentence was like a stab, though Link barely felt it. "Liar?"

"I can see it on your face." He retorted, jumping down to the ground. "I'm leaving now. I'm glad I was of use to you, Great Tree."

"Sprout," it grinned and corrected, "I won't be a tree for another century."

"Then I hope to see you in another life, to see your magnificence in the flesh."

"At least introduce yourself before you leave, threatening person," Link called out, and the reply he got was smooth as iced glass.

"Sheik of the Sheikah. Good bye."

… … … … …

He was feeling particularly smug as he listened, standing with his eyes closed. In his mind he held the image of Sheik being dead, and the forest reacted intentions to thwart his hopes. So he always heard Sheik's footsteps slipping in and out of his hearing range, as if to haunt him.

He imagined Sheik walking away from him, never to return. Of course, he was rewarded with Sheik's surprised gasp.

Link heard him unsheathe his weapon(s), advancing on ghostly feet. "You've been following me."

Link stood perfectly still, eyes still closed, hand still resting firmly on his designated tree, his anchor in the unstable world. "No, you've been Lost. If I wasn't here you'd be dead right now."

"I don't think so."

"It feels like you've been walking for days, doesn't it. You're thirsty. You're tired. You want to sleep but paranoia won't let you. You want to eat but everything looks poisonous. That's the unfriendly side of the Lost Woods; you wither away without realising it."

"How do _you_ know so much?"

"I got lost here as a child. Saria, the girl that became a Sage or whatever saved me. I still remember the skills of traversing this place, if you'll follow me." Link extended his hand, finally opening his eyes. Sheik glared at him, but he nodded and told him to lead the way.

"No. You have to hold me. Or else you'll be lost again and I don't think I'll be able to locate you anymore."

"Fine. I'll hold your shoulder."

Rolling his eyes, Link grabbed Sheik's arm and firmly placed his hand on the shoulder before closing his eyes again. His footsteps swept the ground, careful to avoid tripping on roots and the dens of rats and moles. He imagined Kokiri village, or at least the impressions of it. Overgrown bushes surrounding large trees, so hollow that it was a wonder that any of them were alive. He remembered the know-it-all brothers, the girls that liked high places.

Then he stopped. No. He had to think he was moving away from there. He had to think of the monsters that rampaged through it, had to think of it as a place of terror. He imagined walking away from it, to Anton, but then he got the sense that the hissing of insect-like jaws was following him, the rasping breath of serpentine creatures, the lumbering footsteps of moblins. It got closer and closer, until it felt as if Sheik's hand was a paw of some terrible creature, and Link grabbed it, snapped his other hand out, grabbing a tree and whirling round it, and when he opened his eyes they were there.

"Duck!" Link snapped, dragging Sheik down with him as the Deku baba snapped its jaws at where their heads had been. Sheik whipped his blade out and severed its bulbous head and Link hacked at its roots to ensure its demise. He straightened up and stomped on its head for the satisfying _splat_, and finally he looked at his childhood home, rage encasing his heart with a layer of ice.

It wasn't as bad as his imagination's conjurations, but still, the peace was gone, deku baba infested the once safe gardens, and opportunistic Deku scrubs had taken residence on once manicured lawns. From the roofs guays crowed, and on the eaves keese were dangling in their menacing sleep.

Around the corner a gohma larvae roamed into sight. That was the last straw.

"Stay in sight of the houses; you won't get lost as easily here."

And Link went on his murdering rampage. He left the scrubs alone, since as soon as they saw him they scampered away, terrified. The gohma found him in its territory and shrieked, instinctively charging to scare him away. Link cut it, and its body slipped in half and toppled into the grass. Link didn't bother beheading the deku baba; just stabbed at their roots and made them scream, twisting the blade in the earth to finally silence them. The guay crowed and flew off, leaving their nests at his mercy, which was limited at best.

Sheik finished off the keese with throwing knives before they could properly rouse themselves from their sleep.

Link sprinted round the village, making sure he took care of every single larvae around. He slew them without a second thought, their eyes reminding him of their mother, the creature that'd tormented his dreams for weeks, even when his memories had been wiped. He was never, _ever_, going to allow them to ruin the dreams of the Kokiri as well.

… … … … …

They tentatively peered out of their front doors as Link (and later Sheik, who reluctantly followed) picked up bits of monsters and threw them into the trees that marked the border between the Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods. He saw flashes of wolfos' hides sprinting past, said pieces of vermin clutched in their jaws.

The Kokiri thanked them a little fearfully, offering them some fruit and water. Sheik thanked them; Link declined. After quick goodbyes Link led Sheik out of the forest, where Anton was impatiently waiting for him.

"So," Sheik drawled, "What was that about?"

"What was what?" Link drawled back, patting Anton's neck and feeding him a carrot.

"You didn't even blink as you hacked those creatures."

"So?" Anton nudged Link so he gave the horse a sugar cube, which the horse licked up with zeal. "Are you saying I did wrong?"

"No, I'm saying that one would usually hesitate at seeing bizarre creatures like man-eating plants and whatever else that was infesting that village," Sheik countered, and Link just knew that his hands were on the hilts of his knives, wary of Link and the mystery he presented. "You almost seemed to… enjoy it."

"The Kokiri took care of me, once," Link shrugged, checking his pack for his supplies, failing to find the red potion for his left arm. Gods be damned, fighting those things had been hard enough without his dominant hand, and it was beginning to ache like a nightmare. "So I owed them a debt to take care of and protect them in turn. Not to mention I hate gohma. One attacked me as a kid when I was lost in there."

"The time Saria saved you?"

"No. Another time."

"…Nobody from Hyrule ever, ever wanders in there. Unless they want to end their lives." Sheik circled the Hylian curiously, cocking his head to the side. "You're the only one I've heard claiming to go in there not once but twice, and surviving."

"Well thanks." Link smiled, glad that everything in his possession was in order, aside from the potion. His bottles always had the knack to creep into the most elusive of corners of his packs, anyway. "Now, how can I convince you to let me meet Princess Zelda?"

Sheik gave a thoughtful pause, crossing his arms as he stared at the Hylian. He cocked his head to the side before asking suspiciously, "Where are you from?"

Link scowled. "That question doesn't help at all."

"Oh yes it does. Where do you come from, Navi?"

"How does where I _come _from-"

"If you want to meet Zelda for reasons unknown, I'd like to know at least the bare essentials of who you are, and your homeland is part of that."

"This conversation is _over_," Link gritted out, heaving the saddle back onto the horse, suppressing a cry as the wound on his arm stretched and pounded with agony.

_Just tell him you're from around here. That's not a lie is it?_

"My homeland is really none of _anyone's_ business." Especially when they can supposedly tell if I'm lying.

_How do you know that he can tell whether he can tell I lie or not?_

He didn't, but he remembered mini-Ganon conversing with the spy from Ganondorf's castle, touching his forehead and acting as if he could see through it. The fact that the spy had looked relieved made him worry that Link's little mind-trick had been erased, so his message for Zelda was never delivered.

_So you're worried that Sheik can do the same? Well you're screwed. You whole identity is based on a lie, he might as well stab you and get it over with. At least you'll be free of all this torture and nonsense. I mean, your life is like one of those uncensored fairytales, might as well end it in a similar fashion. _

Link was bordering on agreeing with her, but then he paused. He sighed, and, carefully shuffling his thoughts, he murmured against the saddle, "Termina."

…_What? Seriously?_

Sheik barely caught his word, but still he'd caught it. "What's Termina?"

"A country, like Hyrule. It's beyond the Lost Woods. Well, it's supposed to be, anyway." Link explained, finishing up with saddling Anton, nostalgia touching his voice. Then another pause dropped from him, clearing his thoughts again, "I was kicked out of my home for reasons beyond me. I don't like talking about it."

"I see…" Link felt that red gaze search his back, and Link couldn't help the small smirk pulling at his face. "Why were you kicked out?"

"Our, mayor, I guess you'd call him, had a fever. A curse more like." Link turned to face the Sheikah, cocking his head. "I tried killing it, and it worked but our mayor-type guy still died. I was blamed for it. I was forced to leave."

"I've never heard of Termina," Sheik told him bluntly, but it lacked the suspicion of one who doubted another's story.

"And I never really heard of Hyrule till I stepped onto these fields," Link shrugged, which was all true. As much as he hated to admit it, living under the bulbous, scrutinising eyes of Twin Rova was really helping right now. "Any other questions?"

"Why do you, a foreigner, have an interest in the affairs of this country?" he questioned further, and Link shrugged.

"I was sent here for business, so I'd like to get that done, for one. Another reason is, I'm not comfortable going home without this situation ending, considering the huge infestation of monsters. I think Zelda is the key to that."

Link's heart beat slowly with suspicion, his hand itching with the urge to grab his weapon and attack before Sheik could do the same to him. The red-eyed youth cocked his head, the visible orb narrowing in confusion. "Why enter the Lost Woods? _Twice_?"

"I lived on the border of it, and on a particularly miserable day I tried running away from home. Saria found me and returned me to safety."

"What made you go in the _second_ time?"

"I wanted to see her again. And I was bored. Not to mention I was old enough to go travelling, and the Lost Woods were a challenge; she taught me how to traverse the woods, and that skills have been useful everywhere. Even at home."

Especially when Twin Rova wanted to make sure that he was as much of a puppet to them as he had been these last seven years, Link thought bitterly, muscles tensing, ready to spring if the other man decided to attack him. But Sheik lowered his hands from his knives, and nodded at what was clearly a testy expression. "I believe you."

Link sighed in relief, and then a sense of savage satisfaction broiled in his gut, because his bluff had _worked_. He couldn't _believe_ it!

_But Termina is a fairytale…_

Clearly not a Hylian one, Link thought as he invited Sheik to ride his horse as well, to get back to Kakariko or wherever the closest village was. "So when do I get to see this elusive Princess?"

"Not for a while, if ever," Sheik scoffed, declining a seat behind Link in the saddle, opting to walk. "I only wanted to clarify whether I needed to kill you or not."

Link laughed, nudging Anton into a walking trot. "I love the way you think."

Sheik shrugged gruffly. "These are the times, after all."

… … … … …

Kakariko was far, so they settled for Lon lon Ranch, though Sheik was adamant in not wanting to meet with Ingo. Malon seemed to recognise him, so she quickly set them into the storage on the other side of the corral, for which Sheik paid reasonably. Link sighed, ignoring the look of glowering suspicion from the red-head, sinking into the hay stacked against some crates of cheese, feeling at ease again in the closed space.

"Where are we headed now?"

Sheik snorted mid-stretch, rolling his shoulders as he muttered, "I'm sorry, _we_?"

Link grinned back, reclining in the hay, "I literally have nothing to do except try to get home, and in order to do that I need safe borders. For safe borders, I need this insurgence over. Or civil war, whatever you're calling it. "

"Aren't you looking for a thief as well?" Sheik accused, making Link laugh.

"She talked to you about that." Link indicated at the door with his head, where Malon had left only seconds ago.

"I'm curious as to why you count tracking down a thief as _nothing to do_."

"We got burgled some time ago, and I was employed to search for the missing piece. It's an old relic, I don't even know what it's worth. My father's interested in it, however, so I'm hunting. But I might cut my losses and just go home, considering the state of this country."

Sheik nodded slowly as he too settled in the hay, and he continued to question Link with a cold sense of determination. Link, careful to not to be overconfident, or underestimate the Sheikah's lie-detecting skills, told half-truths all over the place.

He'd had a lot of practice is terms of lying, especially fibs like this. He spoke in context that suited him; Navi had mentioned fairy-tales, so he spoke of Termina; Sheik wanted his background, so he gave it, albeit sketchily. It was not his problem how Sheik interpreted the information given.

Sheik clearly took it all in with a pinch of salt and a good dollop of scepticism. Link mentally commended him for it before curling up in his cloak, a dagger in hand. He left his sword with Ganondorf's mark strapped tightly closed in its sheath, and his mask hidden deep in a secret pocket, to make sure his real identity stayed hidden away.

… … … … …

The one flaw Link had was his incurably heavy sleep; no matter how much he'd trained with his sisters and father, Link could never, _ever_, be woken unless drastic measures were taken. So as soon as he woke and saw that Sheik was missing, Link checked his gear to see if the man had rummaged through it. But no, just looking through the top half he could tell that everything was fine, so why wasn't Sheik…

_He could've bailed on you. Maybe he saw through your lies. _

"It's possible," Link conceded before picking up his things, strapping his sword and shield to his back. When he stepped out Link saw Sheik staring at the northern sky, and frowning, Link turned. His brows shot up.

Death Mountain had always been a nightmare incarnate, but now it was spectacularly worse, lava trailing down its sides, ash and acrid smoke billowing out of its maw. Link thought he saw something serpentine slither out of the pillar of poison; he was proved right when it let forth a stream of bright flame, quickly surging over the clear skies before diving back into the mountain.

Link mentally congratulated his father for outdoing himself.

"Did I sleep through that?" Link asked, pointing at the lava.

Sheik spared him a single glare before rushing towards the gates, and Link grinned as he loped after him. On reaching the barn Link saddled Anton, and Sheik took hold of a horse Malon recommended, hissing urgently at each other. Link kept his ears perked up, listening in as best he could. He didn't get much info, if at all.

He and Sheik thundered to Kakariko, Link enjoying the thrill and freedom of the ride more than anything. Link figured that one of the Temples needed to be freed was in the mountain, or else Ganondorf wouldn't have messed with it. He wondered what Sheik must be feeling as he headed straight into danger for an ideal that seemed too good to be true; to save a nation form the tyranny of one man so powerful he could do _this_ to mountains.

They were forced to leave their steeds outside of Kakariko, too frightened to enter. As they unpacked Link glimpsed two things that made his blood cold, two things appearing and disappearing under Sheik's cloak and satchel, respectively.

A Sword with a magnificent purple hilt, and a pearly blue Ocarina.

* * *

><p><strong>So, yeah, a bit of a lie when I said they would FACE Volvagia, but I assure you, that will be happening in chapter 5. And it was very, very fun to write, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it just as much. <strong>

**Anyway, review replies!**

_**TwinSky72: **_**Hahaha! Yayness. Link is definitely both insane and evil, so it works out great for you, eh? XD I've always wanted to do this utterly hate-able yet pitiable character for a while now, so here it is. I love Navi too, so she had to stay in his head. As for his role as Hero of Time, Link and Sheik will eventually work something out. Anyway, I'm glad you really like it! Can't wait to see how you like this!**

_**DarkWolfLink1: **_**Link's crazy comes in spurts. It's specially bad when he's not doing anything, like, when his thoughts can best plague him, or when he's done something that rankles his inner 'Navi'. And I have no idea whether Sheik is female or male in this story. I think he'll tell me later in the story. As for BP, I lost the USB stick with the next chapter in it. Why in all hell does this happen to me all the time? Anyway, plenty of craziness will be coming from Link, so be prepared! Obviously not much happened in front of the Deku Tree, but things will get more interesting, I promise you! And thank you for spreading the word with this story! Thank you very much, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

_**CatsGotTongue: **_**T****hank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and that you leave another review too. **

_**Havoc's Tears: Y**_**eah, I used to update like a horrible zombie, just taking forever. But now I write chapters ahead so the update pace isn't so horrible. Yes, Link is in a very bad place. He has, in fact, been in a bad place for a very, very long time. And he's only JUST realisinghow bad it's been. Thank you very much for the update, and I hope you leave another review!**

_**Teriyaki Chicken**_** Woot! So many reviews from one person, not to mention, haven't you read my other stories? Thanks for catching up with this one! Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy this chapter too. **

_**TwilightWakerOfTime: **_**Yes, Mini was Sheik. Unless Mini and Sheik are just working together. ;) Ooh, the mystery! XD Thank you for reading Masked Dreams as well, and I'm just glad that you left a review just to say you enjoyed this. It's really nice to know! **

_**Insane Certifiably**__**:**_** Thank you for the reviews! It's not often that people leave so many reviews at once! Thank you very much for your praise, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you enjoyed the rest. :)**

_**Arayllin:**_** Thank you for your praise, and I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter. I hope you continue to enjoy, and that you leave more reviews!**

**... ... ...**

**Anyway, that's it for reviews, and this chapter too. Next there's Volvagia, and more craziness from Link! Please leave a review? It makes updates faster. :3**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! It's been way too long since I last updated (4 months I believe) and I won't blame anything except myself. Anyway, here it is, and I've pre-written chapters 6, 7 and 8 so the updates should be coming on a more regular basis now. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoy. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5 - In which a lot of things happen.<strong>

A sudden apprehension crossed Link's gut as Sheik insisted they head to Goron City.

"I… I don't think I can."

"If you want to meet Princess Zelda, you're going to have to gain my trust." Sheik told him bluntly, "And you haven't done that yet."

"So you want me to do something _stupid_ to gain it? That's fantastic." Link rolled his eyes and pointed at the rumbling mountain, still blooming bright streams of boiling rock. "Well excuse me for being scared of entering that fiery pit of doom. The aptness of that mountain's name is also encouraging."

Sheik frowned before turning away, speaking in disgust. "If you think Zelda has the time to meet cowards like you, then you're mistaken. Don't ever show your face to me again unless you've grown a spine!"

Link gritted his teeth and watched him go before turning away, going straight to the graveyard. He broke into Dampe's house again and picked up a bowl and filled it with water, and added a drop of his blood from the bandages round his left wrist, wincing as his half-healed arm felt the kiss of stale air. This thing was going to need redressing… "Father?"

"Link?"

Link paused, and then looked into the water and grinned. "Hey Mika. Is Father tired?"

"After resurrecting that dragon he _has_ gotten a little out of it." Mika sighed, rolling her eyes, "He could've settled for a giant skeleton but no. He had to go for the whole thing."

"You _have _to admit it's pretty awesome."

"As long as it stays where it's supposed to be," Mika bit her full lips worriedly, leaning into the mirror on the other side. "Try not to go into Kakariko in your search, alright? That town is going to suffer a lot thanks to the volcano."

"Uh, yeah, this is a house in Kakariko. Graveyard to be exact."

"Oh you've _got_ to be kidding me."

"No jokes," Link chuckled, rewinding his wound quickly, tying it firmly with the help of his teeth. "So am I allowed to report to you, general?"

"You may," Mika laughed, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "We miss you, you know."

Link laughed back. "I've only been away a few days and you already miss me?"

"Well the twins may have seen you when that thief escaped, but Alita and I sure didn't." Mika pouted impressively, petulance in living form. "Gods, thieving from a bunch of thieves; they're probably boasting their heads off about it at their camp or whatever. So, what are your reports, spy of ours?"

"The man who stole our two relics is the same man. At least I think he is. I'm in pursuit of him as we speak. He's heading for Goron City, though I don't know why. A Sheikah, unless it's a clever disguise."

"Oooh, was he good looking?"

"Wrong guy to ask." Link pointed out, rolling his eyes. "Besides, most of his face is covered."

"So he could be a she?"

"Possibly, but considering Hylian culture I doubt it."

"You know," Mika sighed with a soft smile, "If they didn't have that silly rule I bet we wouldn't have taken over their lands so easily. Anyway, is that all you want to report?"

"Trying to gain his trust. It may lead to Zelda, but he could be talking big. Will try to gain the items back as soon as possible. I think that's it for now."

"Good hunting, Brother." She said, kissing her fingertips and pressing them to her forehead before waving at him. Link nodded and repeated the gesture back, making his sister smile broadly.

They broke their connection at the same time, and Link rolled his tongue inside his mouth, sighing inevitably at Navi's disapproving hiss:

_You _should_ grow a spine._

"Navi please…"

_The only reason you don't want to go to Goron City is because you betrayed them. They _adopted _you after what you did and you still betrayed them. _

"I didn't remember. You know that."

_Then why won't you go? Why won't you help them? For all you know their city's now a cauldron of fire and you won't _help_! You used to be so brave, what happened? _

"I don't know. I, I don't know."

_What are you afraid of? You weren't afraid of _anything_!_

"You know that's not true." Link murmured, leaning against the table, feeling sick. "Gohma still scares me. Thanks to Barinade I can't look at anything slimy, much less touch it. That dragon…" Link shuddered, thinking of the fire snapping out of its jaws. "It reminds me of that Dodongo, in the caves. I don't think I can face going _near_ it."

_But what about Darunia?_

"Da-who?"

_Darunia! The one that let you become a Goron? Your brotherly figure?_

"…Oh. That huge giant that nearly crushed me to death? That one?"

_Yes_.

"Does he _look_ like the kind of guy that needs my help?"

_He needed it when you were _ten_. _

Link stared at the far wall vacantly at the memory. "By the Gods that was desperate of them."

_Maybe they're desperate now? Maybe… I mean, even if they're not, don't you think they'd appreciate seeing you?_

Link rolled his tongue inside his mouth again, pointing out slowly, "Sheik might find that suspicious."

_You've lied to him already, I'm sure you can lie to him again. _

"Would that count as playing with fate?"

_Yup_.

Reluctantly, a smile crawled up his face. "I kinda love doing that, don't I?"

… … … … …

It didn't take long to catch up with Sheik, considering he had to deal with monsters every third step, while Link just leapt over the corpses till he caught up. Link slashed the two final tektites, letting Sheik rest, and after sheathing his sword, pointed at Sheik and said, "Nobody calls me a coward."

Sheik couldn't help but snort in amusement before nodding.

They hiked the rest of the way without much resistance, though by the time they arrived it was bordering nightfall. They found the entrance to the Goron City unguarded, and the complex itself was unguarded as well. Well, except for one Goron child that seemed to be running around in circles along the tiers of the subterranean complex.

Link frowned curiously. "Why is he doing that?"

"We should ask him." With that Sheik leapt off the level they were on and onto the one below them, and Link leaned against the railing as the Goron child got closer to Sheik.

_Shouldn't you tell him-_

Sheik was bowled over by the Goron and Link chuckled.

"My turn," he called down as Sheik picked himself off the granite floor of the city, pulling out two bombs from his pocket. He lit them with a spark of his tinderbox, and as soon as the wayward creature was in sight, Link lobbed the explosives straight at it.

With a mighty _boom_, the creature was engulfed in flame, and it stopped.

Sheik stared at him in horror. "What was that _for_? You may have killed him!"

"Or her," Link shrugged before sticking out his tongue. "And don't be such a worry-wart, Gorons can take bigger damage than that. Besides, he's stopped hasn't he?"

Sheik rushed towards the Goron anyway, concernedly crouching over it. Rolling his eyes Link followed, easily landing next to the shaking child.

_How would you like it if someone blew up a bomb in _your_ face?_

Again, Link shrugged, uncomfortable with talking to Navi when people were around. She continued to berate him, however, so he missed most of the kid's and Sheik's conversation and didn't know why he was being handed a red tunic.

"Uh, no thanks, I'm fine." Link declined, tweaking the collar of his hauberk, "It's made of the same material as that, I think. At least, it's heat resistant."

"But only Gorons…"

"You're not the only Goron I'm friendly with, kid," Link smiled, "Trust me."

There was an awkward pause, but once the Goron child led them to where the Fire Temple would be, he rolled away to continue patrolling the empty city. Sheik stared at him with renewed suspicion, before pointing with the hilt of his knife, "You _do_ have some quality gear on you, don't you."

Link grinned. "Thanks. It's a gift from my father."

"…Your father must be a powerful man, then."

"He is, at least back home." Link chuckled, flexing his gauntlet-clad hands, "Wouldn't know how powerful he'd be out here, though."

"Hmm," Sheik grunted, before entering the gut of Death Mountain.

The heat was scorching in there, and Link was glad for the material that protected him from it. Sheik visibly winced despite his fringe and mask, and trying to avoid the notion that the mountain could spew magma straight at their faces they hurried to the entrance of the temple. For the first time in a while Link didn't like the idea of being enclosed; there would be no escape if the mountain went _boom_.

"Wait, is this Temple dangerous?" Link remembered to ask, making Sheik glare at him.

"You really weren't listening to a word that child was saying, were you."

"Well, no, I was more concerned about the empty city. And what _made_ it empty. Please don't tell me we're chasing after the thing that made it happen."

"If you refuse to come I'm allowed to call you a coward," the Sheikah warned, pointing a bandaged finger at him.

Link pretended to think it over, before asking, "Couldn't we wait till day-break? I mean, if we collapse of exhaustion we're sitting geese."

Sheik just turned away and kept walking, dropping down a ladder. Sighing, Link followed.

They made quick work of the keese mantled in flame, before Link took the left door and Sheik took the right. The room was essentially a pit of lava with rock formations sticking out of it, and on the other side was a door with an unnecessarily large padlock, and pounding on its chains was a Goron.

Link's stomach tightened. "Darunia?"

The Goron turned. He was a mighty sight, almost more impressive than Link remembered. His arms bulged with muscles big enough to crush a house without breaking a sweat. His beady eyes were fierce, as any tribe-leader should be, and Link suddenly wondered if the Goron would be able to see through him, to his sins and madness. They stared at each other, and while Link's face was the perfect image of apprehension, the Goron's was one of shock, and… relief?

"Link! By the gads, Link! Ya live!"

"Um…"

"We thought ya dead! Where were ya these years?"

"Just… out of sight."

"Ya come to help our tribe? Well gads be with ya for ya spunk, lad! I'm going in to stall the blight of a dragon while I can, so save our tribe while I'm at it!"

"What…?"

"The tribe! My family! They're about to be eaten by that fork-livered worm! Now get to it, my brother! We'll talk further when we've done our tasks!"

"Alright!" Link hollered, and with a mighty rumbling roar Darunia turned and smashed the padlock with his fist, sending it flying. He barged into the room and Link watched as, gently, the chains slithered and the padlock melted into sight from thin air, clasping the door closed once more.

Link had the horrible feeling that Darunia was going to die.

… … … … …

He hardly remembered the Goron, but Link really, really, wanted to hurry and get to that door. So he rushed through every room, killing as much as he could, letting Sheik solve the puzzles whilst Link stood guard. Sheik seemed relieved, if a little unnerved; Link didn't bother trying to analyse the looks he was given by the Sheikah, too busy worrying about Darunia.

He didn't neglect watching Sheik, however. He watched the other fight at the corners of his eyes, trying to understand the way Sheik thought in battle. His strikes were fast and brutal, much like Link's, but Sheik _invited_ the enemy to attack, used their momentum and power against them before taking them down with deathly efficiency. Like a snake, Link thought, before briefly wondering what kind of animal he himself could be compared to.

Something always under another's control, he supposed dispassionately.

They found the Megaton Hammer, a relic Link recognised from his teachings in Goron history and lore. He could lift it up just fine, though when Sheik tried it he nearly broke his back. Link wondered if it was because of the blood-bond he'd earned whilst coming here, though he didn't quite remember what that ritual had entailed. He barely remembered why he'd entered Goron City in the first place.

Thankfully none of the Gorons they released recognised him; growing out his hair had been an excellent if coincidental plan, and the scar across the upper face probably helped. Link cursed as he and Sheik went through the rest of the temple; this mission in destroying Zelda was proving to be more of a disorienting walk down lack-of-memory lane.

_All caused by Ganondorf, if you recall. _

"We don't know that," Link hissed, determinedly avoiding Sheik hearing him.

They finally found the key that could open the final door, and together he and Sheik got to the place Darunia had entered.

Link bit his lip in worry, desperately wanting to call out Darunia's name, but unable to without blowing his cover with Sheik. So he just looked around, looking for any signs of life, or even a battle, but the place was calm, if overly hot.

Sweat drenched his back and plastered his hair to his skull. Link licked salt-soaked lips, gritting his teeth as he and Sheik stepped onto the platform at the centre of the room, floating on a lake of magma. They were careful with their stwps, as it was littered with holes.

From one of those holes there was a gurgle. A rumble. The Hylian and Sheikah stopped in their tracks, as the opening in question writhed fire and molten rock, spitting heat angrily till it _exploded_, spouting out a river of red that formed into a lithe skin of flesh and scales, splitting into legs as the body slithered up and up and up into the cavernous insides of the Temple. It coiled along the ceiling and looked at them with large green eyes, forked tongue lashing between its razor sharp incisors, its horns that resembled a ram's glowing in the heat.

The dragon let open its maw and shrieked.

… … … … …

Defeating it was one of the most enjoyable things Link had ever done.

It was the biggest challenge he'd ever had to face, and by the gods it was a majestic creature. Its skin seemed to shine in malice, its breath hot and acrid with hatred. The way it moved through the air and magma made him warm with awe, its majesty tempting him to bow down and worship it. Best of all, Ganondorf, _his father_ had made it rise from the dead, perhaps in perfect replica to the way it had lived goddesses knew how many years ago.

It only seemed fitting that Link be the one to tear it down from its rebirth.

Sheik had shot at it to drive it out of the air, though Link suspected that the arrows were only a mild irritation to its skin. Link waited with the megaton hammer, grinning like the madman he was, till the dragon emerged with its glorious mane (the shade of hot white) and snarled at him.

Link swung with all his might, crashing the weapon against the top of its skull.

It gave a screech of surprise and pain and Link backed away just as quickly as he'd struck, snarling back, the grin upon his face nearly tearing his expression in two. This was far too much _fun_.

The dragon couldn't attack them from above; unlike Link Sheik was an excellent shot, and if it hadn't dodged or was so far away, the creature would've already earned a few arrows to the eyes. So it was forced to dive into the magma and re-emerge where they couldn't predict, and it did a fine job of it; Link suspected that if he hadn't been wearing his father's heat-proof hauberk, he'd be incinerated to ash by then.

With each blow Link struck the dragon grew sloppy. It didn't try to trick them, just simply tried to attack, but it blew flame where they weren't, and could only roar in frustration as it was shot and hacked at, its eyes drowning in its own blood from the wound atop its head.

Link moved to finish it off as it lay panting, its upper body sticking out of one of the holes in the platform, but Sheik got there first. He unsheathed the sword with the purple hilt and buried it deep into its right eye, and after a terrible shudder its head dropped, and its flesh withered away, only to leave a skeleton.

Link stared at the sword that Sheik tried to sheath just as quickly, but his hands shook and the blade clattered to the floor. It was an interesting blade, simplistic and elegant, no real design or engraving to it except the Triforce that was carved just above the hilt.

As the Sheikah picked it up, Link wondered why it was so special.

"Oh come _on_!" he griped, gasping as he leaned on his knees, his pretence at panic and terror made easy by the sheer exhaustion of facing the fire-breathing monster, "You had a sword like that all along and you didn't even use it _once_ while we traversed this hellish oven of a temple. There were so many fights where a sword would've been better than your knives, and you use it _now_?"

Sheik picked up the sword and sheathed it smoothly, cradling the hand that'd wielded it as if it pained him. "It doesn't like being wielded."

Link swallowed, the heat getting to him now that the adrenaline was wearing off, "Then that is a _stupid_ weapon to have."

"You're wrong." Sheik growled, glaring at the Hylian with his monstrous eyes, "You know nothing about this weapon, nor of its history, nor what it means to me. So I suggest you keep your trap _shut_ about it, unless you want it sticking out of your back."

"Touchy, touchy," Link grumbled, taking note of what he said to report to his father. He had a feeling that Ganondorf wasn't going to be pleased when he heard how Link had helped defeat the dragon…

He noticed a blue pillar of light, and pointed it out to Sheik. The red-eyed youth sighed before saying, "I suggest you follow me, unless you want to swim out of this magma."

"Sure."

They stepped into the light , and after an infinite amount of blue, there was darkness.

… … … … …

Link felt himself drop, so he braced himself for a touchdown and he found himself standing on some pedestal, which, now that he looked at it, seemed familiar. He looked around, and Sheik was nowhere in sight, which was a pity. He was still in the Death Mountain crater so he hastily left, careful to avoid being seen by any of the Gorons that'd been freed from the Temple. As he snuck past the denizens of the mountain (and dropping the Megaton Hammer along the way because he couldn't stand holding it around anymore) he recalled the two pedestals that'd rested near the two previous temples he'd visited, though admittedly not as extensively.

The Temple of Time and the Forest Temple.

Were these the very Temples that were mentioned by Dampe? Were they the ones meant to aid the Hero of Time and the Master Sword? If that were the case, had Link just… had he just helped the _Hero of Time_?

Navi pealed in laughter as Link burst into the outside air, where the night was greying into the hour of pre-dawn, breaking into a horrified run. He'd helped his father's enemy.

Even as she chuckled, Navi pointed out, _you're missing something Link_.

"Missing _what_?"

_The Hero of Time is supposed to be in sync with the Master Sword, right? Then why is Sheik reluctant to wield the weapon? Why did he say that the sword doesn't like being used?_

She had a good point. Link slowed to a jog as he headed for Kakariko, careful to not slip on the scree and debris of the crusted path. "So does or doesn't this mean that Sheik is the Hero of Time?"

_It could mean anything. But if he IS the Hero of Time, he still hasn't grown into the role._

"Or," Link grinned, "The Master Sword doesn't recognise Ganondorf as evil."

_Now you're pushing it_.

"Navi, it was a joke."

_No it wasn't! It's sick! You have such tunnel-vision it's unbelievable! Ganondorf this, Ganondorf that, oh he's so great and mighty, he's so powerful! He's so loving and generous! He's so generous he shoved a DRAGON down the mountain's throat as a gift of peace! He's such a man worth LOVING!_

"Stop it. Stop it _right now_."

_I just don't GET IT. _She growled in his mind, making him stop and crouch, pressing his hands against his head, gritting his teeth in his efforts to make it stop. _He tortured your mind so much that you forgot me! I shared my heart and mind with you! If it wasn't for me you'd never have escaped the Deku Tree's insides, you'd never have lived as long as this! Without me you were alone, and you thank me by loving my murderer more than you love ME!_

"That's not true. That's not true and you _know that_!"

_Isn't it? Prove it. Prove that you love me more, that you care for me more. And before you ask how, I'll tell you: Kill Ganondorf. Kill him. He's nothing but a corrupt King, a senseless killer, and with that deed done you'll be forgiven by everyone. Isn't that what you want? Forgiveness? Acceptance?_

Link shivered, shaking his head as he clutched it with desperate fingers. "No, no… That's not, I,"

_Don't tell me Ganon's messed with your head so much that you don't even know what you want? I know what you want; I've always known everything, remember? I'm telling you right now that you want revenge. For me. For you. For both of us._

"Is that how I repay the man for how he's treated me?" Link gasped, cold sweat beading his forehead, shivering as the wind howled and swept over his already soaked back, "He _raised_ me. He calls me his _son_!"

_Don't you see that it's all a pretence to keep you on your leash? What that King has done is- _

"No, please, no… I can't do it, I can't, I could _never_…"

"Navi?"

Link jumped with a gasp, cold sweat beading his forehead. It was Sheik who frowned at him from higher up on the slope of the mountain track, looking almost concerned. "Are you alright?"

Link swallowed, his throat dry, his arms and legs and a bit of his torso telling him that he hadn't escaped the fiery chasm —or battle— unharmed. "I'm, I'm fine."

"You're a very bad liar, Hylian," the Sheikah said, extending a hand to where Link crouched, strands of his torn hair clinging to the paler man's fingers. "You don't look fine."

"Well…" he swallowed again, heart hammering, left arm aching. He wondered when it would heal properly before he could use it to wield a sword again. And he hadn't even realised he'd sunk to his knees, the dust cloying at his gear and eyes. He coughed. "Maybe you're right."

"I do tend to be," Sheik scoffed, taking Link's hand and pulling him up, appraising his sorry form, "We need to see a healer, and quickly. Our burns could fester."

Link nodded without a word, fisting his hands to quell their shaking. Navi's voice still rung in his head, the idea of murdering his father burning and smarting more hideously than any of his injuries.

… … … … …

They stripped down to the bare essentials of clothing, allowing the Gorons to take their gear to a nearby stream to take out the soot and assess the real damage. Not to mention it helped reveal their wounds properly, and Link found that he and Sheik were similarly injured despite Link had the advantage of a shield.

The Sheikah really was excellently muscled, Link couldn't help but think appreciatively, and by gods his tan. He would've killed for skin that shade of bronze.

The Gorons gave them cloth soaked in water and bomb-flower juice, which both tickled and soothed the burns, though it still pulsed with heat. Link winced at the odd, mixed sensation and wished he had the Gerudo ice-ring with him. He'd stupidly left it in his pack, and the pack was in Kakariko, a whole day's walk away.

"Ow. Gods this hurts."

"Suck it up, Hylian." Sheik hissed, even as the Gorons (as gently as they could) patted more cloth and bomb-jelly juice on his leg.

"Well excuse me for being so sensitive." Link snapped, gesturing bitterly, "Do you not see how pale I am? I once got second degree burns from the _sun_, that's how hateful my skin is. You tanner."

"I'm very sorry indeed," he shot back, rolling his eyes. Then he cried out when a Goron 'grazed' a cut on his shoulder, making Link snicker. Obviously silencing himself Sheik rocked a little, weathering the pain before exhaling and gnashing out, "But thank you for coming with me. You were a help."

"You may want to try again in a few moments, when you can sound a little more grateful." Link joked, and Sheik gave out a soft laugh despite himself. "So where to next?" Link added, stretching limbs encased in soaked cloth, "Do I get to meet Princess Zelda now? I _was_ quite brave, if I say so myself."

Sheik shook his head as he rolled his visible eye. "You're getting closer to the honour than I expected, I must admit. But tell me, how in goddesses' name were you able to lift that hammer? From stories I hear only a Goron could wield it. A _powerful_ one at that."

"I have a blood-pact with an old friend," Link told him honestly, finding no way around it, "It really wasn't such a big deal, it seemed more like pest-control to me, but hey. He wanted a job done, and I did it for him. In return I got a blood-pact, and I was terrified at the very idea, but... you can't refuse a Goron's gratitude."

"You've done a hell of a lot, over the years…" Sheik sounded mildly impressed.

"I like to travel," Link replied with a shrug, "Though I _would_ like to travel home…"

"Fine, fine," Sheik grumbled, "We stay here and recover while I wait till she gets and replies to my report. I'll go send it now, if it'll please you."

"Sarcasm is like music coming from you, even if it's muffled," Link teased, even as Sheik stood to walk off. Link stood too, heading for the archway that led outside; his throat ached for fresh air. When he ventured out it was beginning to spit with rain, and the soft drops slid down his skin and soaked his clothes, and soon he was wonderfully drenched.

There was a shriek from above, one that Link recognised. It was one of Ganondorf's favourite messenger hawks, with a jewel strapped across its forehead. The gem was attracted to the amber resting on Link's Gerudo bracelet, so it always knew where to go. He stood and lifted his arm so it'd safely land, and the wet and miserable creature proffered the leg with the message on it.

It was Ganondorf's bold handwriting, signed with his unusual sigil. Link read it even as Navi muttered at the back of his head, and it said:

Briefly abandon task, head to Deku. Create festivities there, before returning to task.

Link scowled. It was typical, really, how his luck worked out. As soon as he was heading somewhere on his mission, there had to be an interruption. But he supposed it had to be important, considering Ganondorf wanted Zelda caught more ardently than Link did.

What could be so dire that Link had to don his mask?

_Ignore it_.

Link's scowl turned from miffed to incredulous. "What?"

_Zelda is more important than whatever Ganondorf's trying to make you do. Ignore it and follow Sheik. _

"You're not serious. This is _my father_ we're talking about."

_He's a tyrant. Why are you following orders from a TYRANT?_

"Not this again…" he sighed, tapping the jewel atop the messenger-hawk's head, so the enchantment would reverse and it'd head straight back to the castle. No reply was needed on Link's part; the rumours would spread like fire.

Navi sounded hysterical in his head. _What he makes you do in that disguise is terrible! You shouldn't, please, it'll be horrible, and all those people have nothing to do with this-_

"News flash, Navi. I _enjoy_ this. I _enjoy_ carnage. I _enjoy _making people hurt and scream and deathly scared of me, and do you know why? You know what, actually, there _is_ no why. I just _like_ it, how I used to like gardening and how I used to like going for walks with you. And if you can't live with that, _get the hell out of my head_!"

_No! Never! You're better than this, you're GOOD!_

"Go away," he spat, pulling out the Skull mask from his pack and wearing it, muffling out Navi's desperate wailing.

But then he stopped and gritted his teeth, wincing as he lowered the mask and the muscles in his arms pulsed with pain. His left arm was still on the borderline of 'hurt' and 'healed just about enough to use'. Leaving now without a word would also put his and Sheik's so called trust back to square one.

So Link went back inside where the air was a little warmer, almost cloying, like an oven still cooling from baking bread.

He waited for Sheik to come back, before quietly asking, "If I… If I accompany you, will I have to go through more of… well… _that_?"

Sheik looked at him, and as if fearing the inevitable, nodded an affirmative.

"Oh." Link bit his lip, and sighed. "You can call me a coward now."

Sheik glowered. "I don't think you're a coward. Not after that."

"I'm still not going through another hell like that." Link muttered, referring to the Temple's never ending mazes, "I may be a fighter, and I'm used to monsters of the lower scale but…" he forced his spine to shudder as if in fear, and Sheik seemed to buy it.

"I understand. I wouldn't be doing this either, to be honest, but I… I have to."

"Why?"

"I'm looking for someone." Sheik shrugged, thanking the Gorons distractedly as they gave him and Link back their now soaked clothes, sighing at the numerous tears and burns.

"In those Temples?" Link asked, genuine curiosity and incredulity tugging at his question.

"No. The real hope." Sheik chuckled, "Though he's proving to be a bugger to find."

"The Hero of Time?"

Sheik paused, but nodded. Link rolled his eyes. "Man, if what the Deku sprout has said is anything to go by, you've now beaten two temples full of creepy-crawlies. How doesn't this make you the Hero of Time?"

Sheik laughed outright, startling the Hylian. "By Gods, you really are a foreigner aren't you."

"What? You're an excellent warrior! Your knife work makes me jealous!"

"Though that flatters me, it doesn't change the fact that I _can't _be the Hero of Time. It's like asking a Goron to swim. Or a Zora to dig with their bare hands. It can't be done."

"_Why_?"

"I look like a monster." Sheik told him bluntly. "And people don't want monsters for Heroes."

* * *

><p><strong>I like to think that Sheik and Link are getting along better than before. <strong>

**Anyway, review replies!**

_**CatsGotTongue: **_**Yeah, there will be much tense-ness between the two companions, but even I don't know who will be snapping first. It'll be fun to find out. XD Sorry the Gorons didn't get much action, but I wanted to contribute more to the character building. **

**_TwinSky72:_ Actually that was Link being sneaky-sneaky, though Sheik probably thinks Link's being simple-minded, yeah. Sheik is his own person in all my stories (I think; I might be wrong, I don't remember properly, lol). OMG I died so many times against Volvagia because I couldn't stop staring at him he is so amazing. **

_**TwilightWakerOfTime: **_**You can read this on DS? Wow, I'm so very behind on technology; I honestly didn't know you could do that. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the Volvagia scene, though it was in retrospect kind of short. As for Link's past, the idea is that it's meant to be confusing, at least for Sheik. Sheik can tell if anyone lies, so, Link's telling half-truths and truths within lies (such as locations in fairytales, i.e. Termina) so Sheik won't know Link's working for Ganondorf. It SHOULDN'T be confusing for you, and I'm sorry. I'll see if I can re-write it to be less confusing, since everything should be clear to readers. Thanks for your review!**

**_Havoc's Tears: _Don't worry, Sheik is his own person, and he and Link will have their guards up (almost) all the time. And it's gonna be a fun ride for the both of them. Sorry it was such a long wait till Volvagia, but I hope it was worth it. **

_**Arayllin: **_**Thank you so much for your praise! Sorry it took such a long time to update, but here it is, and I hope you enjoy!**

_**Me**_**: Thank you for your review, it's really nice to see you after such a long time. Yeah, I noticed that after you mentioned it and I was horrified; of all the mistakes to have made that one was really bad. **

**Thank you all so much for your reviews, and I can't ait to see more. **

**Sincerely,  
>S.S.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay it's been two weeks or something since i last updated, so i figure it's time carry on with the mischief. Here's your update, hope you enjoy, and please don't kill me for making Link an awful person.**

**See ya!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Don't know what to call it yet<strong>_

Link and Sheik, after a well-deserved sleep after their journey that'd lasted all the night, left the Goron city in the dark hours of the morning, trekking down the mountain pass quickly. They arrived at Kakariko a little past noon and separated ways, shaking hands.

Sheik galloped away on Epona, and Link watched him go at the foot of the Kakariko steps till he was a mere dot on the horizon. Even as Navi shrieked in his mind to _stop it, stop it, please_, Link pressed the Skull's mask against his face and murmured, "Sticks and stones will break your bones, and I will do the throwing."

The Skull's mask pulsed. The top of it oozed, encasing his head in an ivory helm. Shadows bled from underneath it, rippling over his clothes before hardening into silver-blue armour with red and black engravings. The elbow plates, knee protectors and his boots gleamed like polished bone, matching the deathly white of his Skull's helm. The rest of the shadows gathered to become a cape, and Link looked around slowly even as Anton screamed in terror, bolting.

Link strolled through the field for a while; enjoying the sun filtering through his cool metal carapace, sighing as the old sense of disinterest and glee returned. From behind him a wolfos lunged to tear at him, but he simply pointed at it and the monster collapsed, roaring in agony.

It bulged and inflated like a balloon, the fur bleeding colour, the eyes simply bleeding. It roared and roared as the magic Ganondorf and his best magicians had packed into the mask wrenched with its very existence till it wreathed blue fire round its teeth and its claws shone like tarnished gold. Its skin split and healed as its bulk was contorted into a shape twice its original size and its mind died and was replaced by a single consciousness that obeyed Link, and only Link.

Link mounted it, unsheathing his sword, laughing as it bounded south.

Hyrule had once been a land full of fiefdoms. The extensive fields had been divided among the gentry, and of course, the Hylian Royal family had controlled the most land, not to mention shared alliances with many neighbouring estates. In each estate there was a village to house those that worked on the crops and animals. Since Ganondorf's take-over half the villagers had left in fear of the Gerudo, establishing their villages on the outskirts of the lands. Of course they still worked on the land, but on the outer half of the properties because the inner half were full of 'traitorous' Hylians and all manner of the desert thieves.

Deku was one of the towns on the outskirts; close to the Kokiri Forests and the Deku trees, hence the name. Link had often been sent to patrol round said towns and villages, quelling their rebellious moods, but this must have been a big crime if Ganondorf had felt it necessary to stop Link's quest simply to rap a few wrists.

Thus he entered Deku riding a White Wolfos with eyes burning red, blue fire wreathing its teeth, twice as big as any wolf the villagers had ever seen. Link cackled at how they cowered, the sense of power swelling in his chest. He was followed by four stalfos, bearing chipped swords and broken shields, their faces deadened into grimaces.

Link leapt off his undead steed and patted it on its shoulder, and it wandered off to sniff houses and fires, growling at any who dared not back away from it. Link wandered through the town, grinning beneath his mask as he playfully swung his sword by his side. Not far away a child began to cry; Link swivelled his gaze that way, and immediately the child was muffled to silence.

"I heard someone was playing a game," Link called out, making the villagers quail at the familiar phrase, heard in old memories and rumours. "Do you mind if I join?"

There was deathly silence as Link waited for a reply. Getting none Link gestured at the Stalfos, who knew what Ganondorf wanted. They marched out, weapons drawn, and _finally _there was screaming. They barged through doors, tore through belongings, searching for the men or women that'd displeased the King so much. Link happily stalked round the village, peering curiously into windows, smiling at children who stared at him in wide-eyed fear as the skeletons went on a rampage.

His joy was similar to the satisfaction of breaking things. Tearing down a sand castle someone else had built, knocking down a brick village a child had painstakingly gathered, watching a glass statue teeter on its edge before falling, picking up speed before obliterating itself against the ground with a cacophonous chorus of destruction. It was somehow more satisfying when he watched others do it at _his_ command.

Link giggled giddily as he turned away from the windows and was gifted two men by his Stalfos minions, middle-aged and angry as could be. One looked distinctly younger than the other (in his thirties, opposed to other, who seemed to be in his late forties), though for all he knew the lack of a beard just made it seem that way.

Link knelt in front of them as they were forced against the ground and smiled, cocking his head to the side. "What were you playing at?"

One man spat at him, the one without the beard, so Link backhanded the other across the face, breaking his nose with his metal-shod gauntlets.

"I love having a go at teams; you make it oh so challenging." Link sighed blissfully, shaking his head as the other man moaned, the one that'd spat at him staring at the blood in horror. "Alright, what did you do? You know I wouldn't be here if you hadn't done something, right?"

The one he'd hit grit his teeth and said, "We did nothing."

"Interesting," Link nodded, before hitting the man again. Twice. The sound of metal against face was an interesting one. "Now, I know nobody likes tattle-tales, so I'll make it easy for you. You get to live, if you tell me what happened. Come on, I can keep a secret. Tell me? Please?"

Silence. Sighing, Link stood with an exasperated air before stomping on the abused man's hand, his spiked boots cracking and scraping against bone. Even as he screamed Link shook a finger at him. "Fingers next, man, fingers next."

"Why me? Why!"

"I like giving the other guy something to look at," Link shrugged, bending over to pat the shaven man's head as he screwed his eyes shut and looked away. "Your fingernails are next, if you're interested. I've got just the perfect tweezers."

"Stop it. Hurt me." The first one gritted out, though he shook with terror.

"No." Link said, before stomping on the hand again, crushing it into a mangled piece of flesh and bone. The man shrieked again.

"Pa! Papa!"

Link turned around and smiled at the woman who was frantically shutting up the girl with a hand, tears streaming down the little girl's face. "Hey, little girl. Is this your dad?"

The little girl shrieked and cried even as the woman (most likely the mother) pulled her away, looking agonized and terrified. When they turned the White Wolfos was barring the way to the safety of the crowd.

"Come here," Link beckoned, pressing his weight gently on and off the man's hand. The un-bearded one tried to attack him as he looked away, but the Stalfos held him firmly down, threatening to break his arm.

The wolfos shepherded them both over, showing teeth glowing with unearthly flame.

The girl was hiccupping with tears, and Link knelt next to her, still keeping his foot firmly on the man's mangled hand. "What does your father do as a job, young lady? Does he work the fields? Does he look after cows or something? Go on, you can tell me. I won't hurt you, you know, you haven't done anything wrong."

"P-pa hasn't done anything wrong either." She whimpered pleadingly, gripping her mother's arm as if it would protect her, "P-please, please, let him go…"

"I will, I will," Link murmured kindly, through the dead blank surface of his mask, "But first I'd like you to tell me what he does for a living."

"He, he does cooking for the inn, and he sometimes helps at the butcher shop."

"Huh. Thank you." He patted her head, making her flinch. "He'll come back soon, I promise. Run along now, unless you want to play tag with me. I bags being _it_," Link cackled, and the girl tugged at her mother's arm and they scampered away, both of them weeping.

After commanding the wolfos and the stalfos (one remaining to hold the two prisoners down) to see to the butchery and the inn, Link turned back to the little girl's father and the yet unknown man, standing with his arms crossed over his chest. "So, who're you, random guy? What did you do to make Ganondorf so angry?"

"Nothing."

"Okay." Link hurt the father again by unsheathing his sword and doodling some noughts and crosses over the skin on his back, ripping and soaking the shirt in red. The man hollered in pain and bucked, but Link deliberately continued, no matter how deep or shallow the man's struggling made the cuts. "Keen to tell me now?"

"Why are you hurting him?" the other cried out, struggling against the stalfos, "He has nothing to do with this!"

"So you say," Link sighed, "But I just can't trust you. If you want me to let this guy go, just tell me what you did. Or are you going to let this man get so mangled that he won't be able to work? Come on, man. What are you, a coward?"

The so far untouched man bit his lip, looking tortured in his own right. But after a pause he closed his eyes and looked away, murmuring an apology. Link grinned, showing his teeth. Turning to the father whose face was beginning to swell and bruise, Link said, "I'm letting you speak now. Do you know anything? Anything at all? Who is this guy anyway?"

The man gave quick gasps as he curled and uncurled his uninjured hand, gathering his strength. "He's the butcher, name of Arren. I work for him occasionally." He sounded delightfully betrayed.

"Nice. We're getting somewhere. Did anything unusual happen these last few days? Maybe something about him. Or, you can have a chance at confessing, I don't care."

"There… there was a day I was meant to help, but Arren refused it."

"By gods, hand crushed and back nicely slashed and you still sound impressively dependable." Link chuckled, "I am so ready to fall in love with you right now."

"Go die in a ditch, you wretched creature."

"Wretched creatures don't laugh." Link told him admonishingly, kicking him square against his ribs. "Now, Arren. What were you doing on this fateful day?"

"Nothing!"

Link placed one foot against the father's thigh, ground down on it, and gave a hard twist. The result was a strangled curse. "Are you really going to put that little girl's father through more pain? Go on, what did you do?"

"I…" he turned pale at something, so Link turned around and saw the body that his wolfos held in its mouth, and the man the two stalfos were escorting between their bony grips.

Link burst out in hysterical laughter. "You! I remember you! My little tin soldier, how are you?"

The man Link had dropped out of Ganondorf's tower glowered at him, blood spilling from his mouth as he supported a cut on his crushed and paralyzed arm. He didn't say anything.

"And what's this?" Link beckoned the wolfos to come and it obeyed, dropping the body at his feet.

It was a Gerudo child.

Link froze. Her neck had been snapped, and she was covered in dirt as if she'd recently been buried. Her body was fresh, only recently killed. The third and final Stalfos held two more bodies, wrapped in a dirty cloth. The smell was one of hideous decay, and from them flies buzzed.

The wind changed, and the stench hit them in full force. One of his prisoners vomited.

"Arren… you…"

"Quiet, Sol!"

"Sol's your name, huh." Link murmured, spinning round, kneeling in front of them again, glaring at the tortured man with his icy eyes, "How does it feel, to know that you were defending a child-killer? That little girl's what, about the same age as your daughter? Ha. Your hand now useless, because you were loyal to a murderer."

"You, Arren." Link added, turning his gaze on him as he stood, clipping the sheath of his sword off his back, "I'm just going to assume that this is what you did to make you catch Ganondorf's attention. Not to mention aiding one of Zelda's troops. Tut-tut, man, tut… _tut_."

Viciously, he stomped on the small of Arren's back, forcing a holler of agony from him. The holler turned to a shriek as Link stomped again, and drove the point of the sheath right where the bruises were already forming and blood was oozing from the spiked perforations. There was a satisfying crunch as the spine couldn't withstand the concentrated onslaught.

Sure that the man could never walk again, Link picked up the dead girl and cradled her in his arms as he walked away. The Stalfos followed, and so did the Wolfos, though they looked ready to tear and burn down a few more people and buildings. The spy was still in the two undead warriors' grasp, so he was forced to follow, cold sweat beading his forehead.

Link reckoned that, as he looked back at a fair amount of smashed walls and broken windows and caved in roofs, they'd done enough damage. Besides, once the Gerudo family was informed of their loss, they would do the rest.

The screams of the man Link had permanently broken followed them like a poe.

… … … … …

The mother of the child was dead, though her Hylian father and two aunts (one Gerudo, one Hylian) remained, and they were understandably distraught. Link had cancelled his disguise as soon as he'd come in sight of the half-empty town, saying he found the girl by the corn fields. He left the other two bodies to burn out in the wilderness; the stench was too horrible, and would only make things worse.

The spy's body was burning with them. For a spy, that git had been fairly stupid, not to mention arrogant. Trying to convince Link that he could get them to Princess Zelda was one thing, but implying that he knew more about Link than anybody could possibly dream of was simply ludicrous.

_He was only doing his job, Link_.

"Gloating is not part of a job," Link spat, clinging onto the Wolfos' back as it bounded its way over the fields, heading straight for Lake Hylia. After dealing with the bodies and the little girl and the bad news that trailed her, not to mention disposing of that spy was enough to make Link feel dirty. The view of that Lake always appeased him of that feeling, so he couldn't _wait_ to get there.

Though Link _did_ prefer enclosed spaces, there really was nothing like the rush of speeding through open meadows, nothing impeding them but the pressure in the air itself, and the limits of your own mettle.

Link delighted in how he wasn't afraid at all.

They virtually flew over the gates that blocked the way to the Lake and the provinces governed in the area, his mount growling as it was forced to leave behind the cluster of houses in the distance. After all, something sinister had caught Link's gaze. He couldn't believe the sight.

"You've got to be kidding…" Link dismounted, sprinting to the lakeside to confirm the view before him, staggering into the hard ground where once the water had lapped, dried lichen snapping under his spiked boots. Birds listlessly where they'd once dived for food, and insects and crabs were crawling round the pebbles, utterly confused. "You've got to be _kidding_…"

Lake Hylia was reduced to a puddle.

_Well gee, I wonder who did this?_

"Shut up Navi!" he screamed, gasping, heart pounding, running to the white wolfos to charge at the river that fed the awesome lake. His father couldn't ruin this. He couldn't. Ganondorf loved his lake, and so did his daughters, so did Link and every other Gerudo that'd seen it. It was the most pristine collection of water anyone had ever _seen_. It was beautiful, it was the prize of Hyrule, everyone who'd come here and seen it had _wept_ of joy.

Ganondorf couldn't have been the one to have ruined it. It just couldn't.

Link mounted the Wolfos once more, pushing it towards the village, sitting next to the river that'd fed the lake. There was screaming as he and the wolfos roared through, shattering houses, trampling livestock. He vaguely remembered that he should be wearing the skull's mask but he was too worried to care or properly think on it; he drove the creature up the trickling stream that had once been a roaring cascade. It was barren, half-rotted carcasses of fish dotting the bed. Link travelled further, spurring the creature on, tire and ache no longer in its system thanks to the magic of the Mask.

Link's heart tightened when he saw the dam that Ganondorf had built as soon as he'd started his reign. He remembered it well, as he'd helped build it as a child. Its purpose lay in spurring half the water to the Gerudo, to relieve their burden of dehydration. With no water, the Gerudo would begin to suffer again, and this Link could not allow.

"_Hya_!" they followed the river further, looking for something, _anything_ that could've blocked the flow from the Zora's Fountain; a rockslide, a giant leech, a break in the land, _anything_.

Link found nothing till he arrived at the Fountain itself, which was blocked by what could only be described as a glacier.

"Up. _Up_!" Link ordered the Wolfos, which scrabbled and growled up the jagged wall of ice. Link's face pinched at the sudden cold, and his breath fogged in front of his eyes. His fingers numbed as he gripped the monster's fur, hardening and crackling as it frosted over.

When they vaulted over the glacier and stood on its zenith, Link felt his anxiety turn to nausea. The fountain had a layer of snow and ice on it. Some parts were so frozen even the wolfos could stand on it; islands of spinning, solid water.

"Go." Link got off the wolfos, waving it away. "I don't care where you go, just go."

Its eyes caught sight of a cave in the distance. It leapt into the water and splashed towards it, before disappearing inside its black gut.

Link travelled to where the Zora's caverns would be, Skull's Mask held at the ready. Demands were boiling up from the pit of his gut: what they had done to cause such a change, and how to put it back. Was this an indirect insult to Ganondorf and his ilk? Water was a luxury to the Gerudo. But ice? _Ice_? Ice was a dream, snow was a child's fairy tale, between a block of ice and a block of gold the Gerudo would _always_ choose the ice. Gold could be stolen. Water wasn't so easy.

Link snuck into the domain, his rising anger freezing as he saw what had happened to the place. No, it was happening _then_, and Link shuddered. This was impossible.

Kotake and Koume were flying around the Domain.

They were laughing amidst bubbled screams. Link hid and his knees could no longer take his weight. He collapsed against the wall and shuddered as the screeching laughter that often took centre-stage in his recent nightmares loomed in and out of his range of hearing. He couldn't understand why they were here. Why in all hell were they here?

Link flinched each time Koume's fires blazed and bloomed, each wave of Kotake's frosty magic muffling the piercing screams. Link waited as they terrorized the fish-people, desperate not to be found out. Temperatures rose and dropped dramatically, but still he forced himself not to shiver, not even breathe. But after a few seconds, long, agonizing seconds, the Gerudo witches flew off on their feathered staffs, still laughing like manic crones.

Link didn't want to look, afraid that the old wrinkled faces could be right round the corner, gap-toothed grins menacing in those overly large heads. Link would've decapitated those twin sisters years ago if Ganondorf would only allow it. But they were too vital in the taking of Hyrule, not to mention they were family.

Link shivered; he hated being related to those hags. He had never understood why they terrified him so, but he remembered now, and he liked them even less for it.

_They_ were the ones that had messed with his mind, after all.

Steeling himself, blowing on numb fingers, making completely sure that they were no longer nearby, Link peered round the corner and stopped. It had completely frozen over, the Zoras trapped in the ice.

Navi screamed in his head.

Link staggered onto his feet, horrified, and he just stood there as he heard her keening and weeping in his mind, trying to make sense of the sight before him. Water was life. Water was innocent. How could water do this? How could Kotake force it to do such a thing?

His mind went to overdrive. He needed an answer. He needed it _now_. He leapt down from his platform, running on the slippery ground as he skidded into the ice, scraping his gear as he did it. He unsheathed his sword and struck the ground but there was only a minimal crack, and he couldn't get to the Zora that reached up at the surface, trying to fight the heavy hardening water that had once been its sanctuary.

The nausea doubled but Link fought it as the Zora completely stilled to a halt. He needed to find a corner of the Domain that the hag hadn't quite touched, where her magic would only be creeping…

There was a scream and Link rushed for it, and there was a Zora fighting to keep her head above the hardening ice, her mouth that was half-submerged gurgling as the water slipped inside her and iced as it went. Link skidded over and stabbed the water right next to its head, shattering it enough for the being to breach for air, hacking and coughing. Link grabbed its arms and heaved as ice clung to its lower half. He hacked at it as she worked the ice in her mouth out, gasping as the slick thing clattered to the now completely frozen over domain.

Link collapsed, shaking like a frightened animal, gasping, "Ruto, Ruto, by the gods what happened here…?"

The Zora looked at him, incredulous amazement colouring her face, and they stared at each other, recognition clicking almost simultaneously.

But Link only remembered her name. He didn't know how he knew this Zora, who's head resembled a stingray rather than a tail as most Zora's had. Who in all hell smiled at the sight of him like that anyway?

"Link! My Link! Thoust alive?"

My Link? _My _Link?

_You really don't remember, do you,_ Navi muttered dryly, even as Link confusedly accepted her hysteric embrace as she babbled about how much she'd missed him.

"Ruto, enough about me," Link managed to say even as Ruto asked him all sorts of questions he wasn't ready to answer (at least truthfully), "What happened?"

"A thing most foul," she wept, clinging onto the front of his shirt (which Link wasn't comfortable with _at all_), "Those wretched witches of the desert came to blight my home as barren as their own. No life will flourish here now, my people buried as living dead in the ice."

"I saw that happen, Ruto," he impatiently snapped, grabbing her hands to peel her off of him, forcing her to look him in the eyes, "But what made Kotake and Koume come here? How did you provoke them?"

"All we did was restore our pride!" Ruto snapped back, rage flashing in her amethyst eyes. "We Zora provided for those desert urchins long enough. They took our veins and arteries for theirs, slicing them to burglar half of our flow. All that purity, all to be fed to a waste of a territory was beyond what we could take. Not after so long."

"What? Veins? Arteries? What?"

"They built a dam," Ruto sobbed, shaking her head at the very thought of it. "So simple and primitive that _rodents_ could build it. Half of the gift from Lord Jabu Jabu went to them through the mechanics of the contraption. It was easy enough to understand, and once word that the Master Sword had been recovered along with the Ocarina of Time, we deemed it time to show our true scales."

"You lowered the level of the water?" Link whispered, his hands shaking, his gut wrenching even as Ruto nodded, pulling a hand away from him to touch his face. "You took water from the Gerudo?"

"I plan to head to the Temple, to see if this curse may be broken from the confines of the sanctified house. Will you come with me, Link, as you did seven years ago? As the first act of reunion between fiancés?"

Navi burst out in shrieks of laughter as Link blanched and stepped away, ripping himself away from her. Hastily he picked up his weapon and sheathed it, backing away. "I don't remember you. All I know is your name, that's all. Get away from me. _Get away_."

"But-"

"_No_." He spat with finality before moving on, walking away from the Zora as he dashed out to where the real entrance to the Zora's domain was. It was snowing out here. The snaking pillars of land were slick from it, and Link slipped and fell, the breath forced out of him as he collapsed on his front.

_You really don't remember, do you. How good you used to be. What you just did with Ruto? What you did with the Gorons? You freed them. You helped them. You did that all the time before Ganondorf turned you into what you are now._

Link sighed, deeply, sadness and frustration curling his lip. "What part of this whole situation do you not understand? I. don't. remember. a. _thing_."

Then a memory leapt at him like a predator from the dark, and it was his first visit to the Zora's Domain as Ganondorf's little son, though the Zoras didn't know that.

He'd been wearing the Skull's mask, and Ganondorf had finally secured the Hylians' cooperation. He was working to gain the same with the Gorons and the Zoras, and the Zoras had been the first port of call only because they had something the Gerudo desperately wanted: water.

The Gerudo Guards that'd accompanied their King had been awestruck, amazed, flabbergasted at just how much _water_ they had. Link also remembered how the amazement had curled immediately into disgust and rage, because they were literally living in it, soiling it, as if it were _nothing_.

Link wasn't particularly interested.

He'd wandered off because the argument between the king and the giant fish-thing was going nowhere. He had a personal (though dead-eyed) guard who was ordered to follow him around, so Link was allowed to do as he pleased. There was a room he'd been interested in, but some Zoras had guarded it.

Link had been fascinated by the blood that dripped from his guard's long scimitar, as well as his own knife; an entrancing shade of green.

He found a few things, and curiously wondering what they were he brought them back to the conference room, and the Zora had frozen ridged and Ganondorf had looked amused.

"What do you have there, skullchild?"

"… A pearl." Link surmised, though sounding unsure.

"For now I appoint you my curator. Test it as you please, to see if it's real."

Link had stared at the opal surface of the round object, catching a flash of light as if it was travelling around the little sphere. He held it between his forefinger and thumb, squinting at it through his mask. He squeezed it a little, and it gave way slightly. He applied more pressure, and it let forth a miniscule crack, and it leaked glittery blue syrup. More pressure, and his two fingertips connected, the shell shattering into miniscule pieces and the innards dripping and glooping over his hand and down his arm.

"Ick," Link grunted, shaking it off, "It's fake, my lord."

Ganondorf burst into roars of laughter as the battle began.

Link staggered onto the edge at the force of the memory, instinctively plunging his hand into the pathetic remains of the once gushing stream, trying to clean it off.

_That was you. You did that._

"Shut up, Navi." Link hissed, trying to rub away the sick feeling sliding down his hand.

_You did it! You killed that little seed of a life for what? For what, Link, for entertainment? For acceptance? Was it worth it? WAS IT WORTH A LIFE?_

"_What do you want from me_?" He demanded, beating the ground, head pounding so hard he wished he could cut it open with an axe, "Just, for goddesses' sake, tell me what you _want_!"

_I want you to be a Hero again!_

"What _is_ a Hero anyway?" Link spat, shivering on the spot, gripping his head as he curled into the ground, smearing mud into his hair. "If I'm such a monster how can I be a Hero? Who would _want_ me?"

_Ruto obviously wanted you. Darunia wanted you. I bet you Saria was screaming for you, but you just couldn't hear because you had Ganondorf and Zelda on your mind ALL THE TIME. Let them go! _

"No. No. I can't."

_Link-_

"No! Leave me alone!" He lunged onto his feet and swung a punch at thin air, again and again till he blindly hit a wall. His knuckles cracked but the illusion of hitting an enemy was enough to punch the cliff-face a few more times, enough to feel grounded, enough to feel as if he'd calmed down.

"I'm a Hero already. I am. I know I am."

_Link_-

"I gave the Gerudo water!" Link shouted, banging the wall as if it'd open up and swallow him if he tried hard enough, as if all it took was a little desperate work and he'd be free of this horrid cage that the voice in his head was building. "I gained the trust of the races! I… I… The Gerudo love me! My family loves me, that's all that matters."

He was weeping, tears rolling down his eyes, pressing the heels of his palms against them to stem the flow, only to rub in his own blood from his knuckles. "I'm a Hero to the Gerudo. That's all I need."

_But LINK_-

"You're the one that's dominating my mind, Navi!" Link screamed, spinning round to glare up at the air behind him. But nobody was there. No-one had ever been there for a very long time.

Link took a deep breath even as he shook, his arms and hands aching from the ordeal, the space between his temples pounding like the pulse of a demon's heart.

"I'm gonna be a Hero, but to the Gerudo." He whispered fiercely, checking his gear, cursing at the sight of his reddening bandages, still wrapping his dominant left arm. "I'm… I'm going to restore Lake Hylia. I don't care whose fault it was, my sisters love that Lake, so do I. I'm going to restore it. I will."

Still, the feeling of the egg's insides teeming with life, slowly sliding over his fingers, making his arm slick with death made him shiver and cringe.

* * *

><p><strong>Gee, I wonder which Temple he's heading to next? <strong>

**Um, yeah, poor Link? The violent bit is how he's used to acting, and Navi's basically the backlash/consequences of his actions. He doesn' like it at all.**

**Anyway, review replies!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: Thankyou for your thoughts and wishes, Code! As for Link's sister wondering about Sheik's gender she just likes to flesh out any possibiliites in terms of good-looking people, and if she ever gets a chance at Sheik she wants to know _how_ to approach. ;) Mika's like that. As for Sheik's REAL gender, even I don't know. :P**

_**RBT**_**: I try not to stop stories half wya through, I totally know how depressing that is, especially if it's a story you enjoy. Thank you so much for your thoughts and wishes, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. **

_**SynneoftheSun:**_** Thank you for the suggestion; you're right, Link's life doesn't get explored enough. It'll be a few chapters from now but I've written some stuff about Link's childhood so I hope you stay with this story long enough to see it. :) I hope you liked this chapter too, and to see more of your input. **

_**LEva114**_**: Thanks for the praise, I'm glad it's being enjoyed all around. And yes, Link is really messed up from Navi's death, and you'll soon know why. Here's the next chapter, and I hope you liked it. **

_**Charmander Wizard: **_**Thanks! I'm glad you like it, and I hope that chapter 6 wasn't a let down. ;)**

_**pikachucat**_**: And thanks for reading!**

_**goldenrhino: **_**OMG you're right Navi's more annoying dead. And mean, too. :P I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D**

_**Kelleboi: **_**I figured if you're swearing 'Gods' instead of 'Goddesses' would be more effective and somehow disrespectful. lol. And thanks for the comment, it was a good point. XD Hope you liked this chapter too. **

_**Havoc's Tears**_**: And thank you fo sticking around to read this, it's really nice to see familiar names after so long. And yeah, I love irony. If only you knew, Sheik, if only you knew. He's gonna hate me when he finds out who Link is. XD Thanks for the review, it doesn't matter how late it is; I'm really glad to have it. **

_**CatsGotTongue**_**: I like to think pressure is the greatest way to make or break a character, I hope I'm not doing the latter, lol. And I know, computers can be so evil. How dare they choose when to work or not? Anywya I hope you liked this chapter I'll see you again soon. **

**Yours Sincerely,  
>S.S.<strong>

**Review?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Good morning/day/afternoon/evening to you all, I hope you guys' ve had a good couple of weeks since this got updated. **

**Anyway, before I continue on I just wanted to thank you all about the reviews, the favouriting ,and the subscribing to this fic. Thank you so much!**

**So without further ado, I present to you Chapter 7: I Don't know what to call it yet.**

**Yeah, that's the usual chapter names till i put in something cool. Oh, and the review replies are at the bottom, as per usual.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Don't know what to call it yet<strong>_

Link couldn't swim, and he couldn't call the White Wolfos back to him, so he walked, not looking forward to the long journey back to the lake that'd only taken an hour at most on wolf-back. He forced himself to chew on a piece of dried fruit as he travelled, realising that he hadn't eaten properly since he and Sheik parted. He felt so sick he didn't really taste it.

Other memories that had meant nothing to him were coming back to haunt him in ways that he'd never imagined they could. There had been days in which he'd felt nothing. Days he'd spent staring at Ganondorf's daughters (his _sisters_) without love or affection, but just… he didn't even know what it was. Emptiness? Curiosity? What was worse was that… they had feared him; he could see it in their eyes now, looking at him only but a few years back.

Didn't they love him? Was it all pretence? Was _Link_ lying to himself, thinking that he loved them? He was slowly confusing himself into circles, and Navi wasn't helping at all.

She wasn't talking to him. After that outburst she'd silenced herself (or had he silenced her?) and now he had no guide.

"What do I even know?" Link strangled out, supporting his head between his hands.

The problem was that there was too much quiet, and not enough to _do_. He needed something to do, to listen to, even if it was his own voice. "I know… I know who messed with my memory. It was them, Twin Rova."

_And? What else do you supposedly know?_

"Will you try to be supportive, now?" Link asked with gritted teeth, glaring at the blue sky.

…_Yes. I'm sorry I said all those things to you. I know you're struggling, and I shouldn't have added to that. Let's work this out like we used to. Together._

Link gave a sigh of relief before nodding, taking his hands away from his head. It wasn't pounding as badly, now. "Okay. Twin Rova messed with my head. I don't know why they did it, though."

_You opened a Door. And then we were captured._

"We did…? Oh, right, yes. You were there?"

_Yes. I was killed afterwards._

"Oh. Oh, I… I'm sorry."

_You weren't the one that did it, so, apology denied. _

Link snorted, but quirked an eyebrow. "Why did I open that Door, anyway?"

_It had something to do with Zelda. I think she told you to._

"Do _you_ remember why? Or where it was?"

_Not really. _

"You're a help." Link snorted with a smile, rolling his eyes. "I opened the door…"

Then things got hazy. Before remembering the fact that Navi had _existed_, much less died, all Link had thought was that, he'd been in the fateful battle between the Hylian King and the Gerudo. He'd been on the greedy Hylian King's side, because he'd been the apprenticed stable-boy. After the battle Ganondorf had found him, and had taken in the boy with the lost mind.

But one memory had broken through almost eight months ago. The sheathed sword with the useless blade, Ganondorf laughing…

Link shuddered and quickly blocked it out. If he'd truly, truly tried to kill Ganondorf, why was he even alive? Link had grown up with the man; he knew just how much mercy his father possessed. How, then, could he have done something so stupid as letting this… this… _liability_ live?

Unless…

Unless that memory was from _after _the induced mind-block. Ganondorf's laugh was terrible, but it always was. And would the Lord of the Desert, King of the West, Conqueror of the Plentiful, mess with a _child_ out of simple spite? Ganondorf was a bigger man than that. And there were plenty of things he didn't remember as a kid, it could've easily been one of those simple, early memories that'd been backlogged, simply emerging because of Koume and Kotake's tampering.

Koume and Kotake…

"Maybe…" Link murmured, a new thought flickering in his mind, "Maybe it was all them. Kotake and Koume. I mean, _they_ erased my memory. Maybe they killed you too."

_What? Seriously?_

"You know what they're like. They rip open animals to divine the future, when _everybody _knows that it's not accurate. They do it for fun. I heard from Mika that everyone that tried to apprentice under them couldn't cope because the initiations were so barbaric. Maybe I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I tried to attack them, they attacked me, killed you, they messed with my mind. Then Ganondorf took me from their clutches. Maybe he saved me from them."

_Oh, Link…_

"Tarrimb's afraid of those crones, and she's the most sensible of all of us! And there were rumours that Ganondorf had to get stronger _just _to control those hags, it makes _sense_."

_But_-

"You know what else I remember?" Link added triumphantly, the thought bursting in his mind, "You were over the top! You were flamboyant and fantastical and dramatic! You _were_!"

_Well_-

"You still are! By gods, I remember!" Link burst out laughing in delight, thinking of that night he'd been kicked out of the woods, at how gentle and kind and funny the fairy had been. "You kept calling me a hero, that late bloomers always shone brightest, that you overslept too and that was why you were so late in becoming my fairy. You somehow made it _your_ fault that the tree had died and that… I could show them all. That I was something special."

_You really were. You were special._

"You know what else I _know_? I wasn't brainwashed." Link's mood darkened. His steps became a march, menacing. "They just wiped my memory. They didn't turn me into a brainless puppet, or a soulless monster. I don't exactly remember what you said about Ganondorf killing deities to the exact detail, but really. He can't be _that_ powerful. And you were overly dramatic about my crimes; I didn't kill or hurt anyone in the sacking of Castletown. I didn't arrow down any Zora eggs; in fact, the only one I've utterly destroyed was with my hands. As for the cold weather above Death Mountain, I have no magical capability to even _attempt_ that. I watched the magicians do it, but I wasn't a _part _of it."

_You watched them happen. You let them happen_.

"New flash: I'm not that kid anymore. I don't even know what I was like before Ganondorf. All I remember is that I travelled a lot. Why did I travel? And what did _Zelda_ of all people have to do with any of it? Tell me that, Navi, and maybe I might believe you more from now."

She was silent. Link sneered.

"One more thing. What was I, before all this? Maybe my memories were taken from me, but for all I know, it's a good thing. I was an outcast, but now? I'm a _Prince_, Navi, or as close as I can get to it. I'm an orphan according to the Deku Sprout, but the King has given me a family. What has your precious Zelda given me, Navi? Well? _Well_?"

_She gave you a mission!_

"Then where's the report?" Link roared, almost shocking himself. "Where's the message? Where's the next phase? She's made no move to contact me Navi, none at all these past seven years. If I was so goddess damned _important_ to her, then she would've helped me!"

_Why are you so angry about a girl that you insist you don't care about?_

Link paused. He… he really didn't know.

_No. No, you know. Of course you know, it's your own mind like you said. You're hurt. You're hurt that she didn't come for you when she should've, you blame her for you being where you are right now. You miss your past. Don't you wonder what it was really like, being surrounded by hundreds of friends that loved you?_

"You're exaggerating again."

_Exaggerating or not,_ Navi hissed, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, _You were a boy loved by many people. Because you were _you_. But who are you now? Fine, you insist on being Ganondorf's son, so be it. Be the spawn of a monster. An _ingenious_ spawn of a monster. So changed nobody recognises you, so horrible that people back away at the slightest sight of you._

Link swallowed dry air.

_Would you love a person like you? A torturer, a murderer, fear-bringer. Children look at you and cry. You enjoy it. Adults look at you and cower. You gloat about it. Do you really think your sisters would love this kind of man? Do they even know this side of you?_

"Of… of course they do."

_Really? Do you boast about it to them? Do you tell them all about your exploits? I know you don't. You separate business from family, don't you? If you call terrorising innocents as business._

"Navi…"

_It hurts me to say this, it does. But nobody loves you, Link. Not even me. Not really. You're Ganondorf's puppet, the Twin Rova's toy, the Gerudo's tool, and nobody loves you. Dying is nothing to the pain of being unloved, you know that? I pity you, you unloved little boy. _

"Shut up. _Shut up_."

Link started jogging, but Navi kept on with it, hurting him in ways he never thought possible from her. He remembered a lovely creature, all laughter, all kindness. It was like she was turning into a fearsome poe.

Link jogged faster, his pace bolstered by the thought of a caped creature with honeycombed bones for wings looming behind him. In his mind it reared up and chased him, shrieking with dying screams of pure agony, and Link sprinted, faster and faster till all he could think of doing was run, all he could think of was the pain in his throat and sides and legs and feet, tearing away the image in his head. The punishing pain and the shrieking kept him running till he collapsed into the ground, hacking and coughing, feverishly blacking out.

… … … … …

Link woke to having a blanket draped over his body and two fingers pressed to his forehead. Sucking in breath through his mouth, trying to ask who was doing what to him, he coughed and gasped and gagged, shocking the other man.

Link didn't notice the look of wary horror and pain in Sheik's red eyes, too busy hacking.

On his final cough he hacked up a gobbet of blood into the grass, bright against the dying ground. He grimaced at it, spitting the taste from his mouth. "That's disgusting."

"Water?"

"Please," Link croaked, forcing himself to sit up, taking the little gourd of water from him, sipping slowly. "Thank you."

"You can have it all, you know," Sheik told him as Link offered said gourd back, barely drinking a drop. "You need it."

Link couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, but I'm sure I can find some water of my own, and, I'm uncomfortable with taking another traveller's water."

"Do you worry it's poisoned or something?"

Link couldn't help a soft laugh. "No, it's just my culture."

"Hm." Sheik backed away from him before pulling out a knife, kneeling on the spot to start a fire. Link grimaced when he saw that the sky was turning orange. He wouldn't be able to get to sleep tonight. "You look a mess. And where's your horse?"

Link sighed in agreement. "I know. As for Anton… I don't know where he is. He bolted."

"Bolted?" Sheik visibly frowned, looking suspicious. "Malon's horses aren't the type to bolt unless something is utterly wrong. What happened?"

"There… may have been some magic involved." Link hesitantly broached, noticing the way the Sheikah's red gaze pierced into him. He had a feeling that a straight out lie would be zapped down like a laser from a beamos. "He bolted, and the next thing I saw was a wolfos. It… it was small at first, like it is in the distance, but it got bigger. And white. And I think it breathed fire or something. It… was scary."

Sheik seemed to shiver, before nodding. "It was."

Link blinked. "What?"

Sheik's shiver grew violent. "I fought it in some ice-caverns, in a place called the Zora's fountain."

Link was _impressed_. He knew what kind of magic had gone into that wolfos, since he'd controlled it, so some of the darkness in Link should've gone in there too. If Sheik could handle that cocktail of muscle and angst and monstrous hatred, he had to be made of tough stuff…

Link let an appropriate pause drop between them, to let the Sheikah settle his emotions, not to mention pretend to think of a way to change the subject. "So… where's that fountain? Or, any water source, really. I could use a full flask."

Sheik didn't reply for a while. When he did, his voice was dark. "If there was, it won't be there anymore."

"…That makes no sense."

"Hyrule has one major source of water: The Zora's fountain. It's blocked right now, having completely iced over."

"Is that not natural?"

Even darker, and completely flatly: "No."

"Let me guess, ye who isn't the Hero," Link muttered, rolling his eyes, "You're trying to unblock it on your own, now."

Another pause, until Sheik nodded.

"Gods," Link muttered, picking at the mud now dried in his hair, "I meant it as a joke, but you go ahead and ruin it. Well, well, well. First a mountain, now a water-source. Aren't you a busy saviour."

"It's only till I find the real Hero." Sheik muttered stubbornly, waving a hand over the flames, coaxing it into life. "And then I'll return to the background."

"I don't get it. Zelda must have plenty of soldiers to help her, why is she sending one man to do the job? Or woman, if you just happen to be in disguise," Link teased, earning a flat stare from the red-eyed youth. "But seriously, why just you?"

"It's really none of your business." Was Sheik's reply, making Link sigh.

"You do know I'm only trying to understand."

"What is there to understand?"

"Being a Hero."

Sheik looked at him, seeming confused now. Link shrugged before looking down, almost feeling Navi's presence in the back of his head, urging him to remember. "What is it like? What does it take? What counts as bravery, when it's sometimes confused with stupidity? If you lack the power to fight, isn't it wiser to hold back? I don't… get it. I'm not saying you're not a good fighter, far from it, it's just… what's the point?"

"It's about putting wrongs to right." Sheik shrugged, fire built and dancing in its pit, pulling out supplies and lining goods up where he knelt. "It's about honouring duties, and protecting friends. It's not the most enjoyable of professions, but it's rewarding. As for what it takes… determination, maybe? Stupidity sometimes helps."

"How is starting an old fight 'protecting friends'?" Link shot back, "I've been in Hyrule for a while now, even before this Hero business started and the borders were made much harder to pass through. Your King-"

"He is not our King!"

"Wow," Link flung his arms up almost in surrender, surprised by the sudden anger. "Sorry. But he's your King, isn't he? Ganondorf or whatever?"

"He usurped the thrown from the rightful King, killing him in cold blood. He would've killed Zelda right then and there too if it weren't for my cousin."

Link batted his eyelids then frowned. "That wasn't what I heard."

"Then what did you hear, pray tell?" Sheik replied sarcastically, looking at the sky, most-likely checking the weather.

"I heard that the previous King lost to a proper duel, after Ganondorf challenged him for being a coward and a despot. He lost his thrown with his life. Zelda ran to build an army against him to regain her thrown, which goes against the laws of said combat. Right?"

"You were told the romantic version. Not the realistic one."

"But it's still true, isn't it?"

"The facts are true. The King was killed, Zelda ran, the Desert King took over. But the previous King was no coward, and Ganondorf isn't exactly benevolent either."

"Is Ganondorf really that much of a monster?"

"You clearly haven't been to Castletown, then."

"I have, actually."

Sheik stared at him in what was clearly disbelief. "Then how can you still believe that Ganondorf is a good man?"

"He doesn't have to be a good man to be a good king. Or vice-versa." Link reasoned, shrugging, "From what I hear, Hylians have been giving the Gerudo a hard time for being a thieving race. Not to mention the lack of water in the desert, I can see why Ganondorf would want to take Hyrule over, honourably or not. Wouldn't he be a good king if he was just protecting his own people?"

"Then answer me this; why does he persecute the very people he now presides over? Not only the Hylians, but the Zora and Gorons as well?"

"I don't think he's persecuting them especially. I think it's you."

That made the Sheikah freeze quite perceptively. "_What_?"

"If it were me, I would've kicked the Gorons and Zoras out of their homes years ago. I wouldn't have left them alone to plot on how to throw me off my seat of power. The bad things are happening in motion _now_, not slowly over the last few years. But anyway, the only difference I see between now and before is you and Zelda. Stirring things up."

"You haven't been here these last seven years, under his rule. Don't presume to know us, foreigner."

Link shrugged in reply and croaked, "Sorry."

Sheik sighed and tossed the water skin to him again, insisting that he finish it. Link relented and slaked his thirst, gratefully giving the empty vessel back.

They ate their meal quietly together, and in the morning they, without really speaking of it, headed to the lake together.

… … … … …

Link was glad that, as the two of them finally reached the lake in the evening, he had seen the lake previously. He knew what to expect, knew the damage already. It still hurt like _hell_ to see it in its state, but he quelled the panic and Navi's whisperings and he only dryly swallowed. "This is really bad."

"Yes. Yes it is."

"How do you plan on fixing _this_, anyway? I mean, there's no dragon to defeat or anything…"

"There should be a Temple nearby. Specifically one underwater."

Link couldn't help but roll his eyes. "There _isn't_ any water though."

Sheik rolled his eyes right back at him before pointing at the horizon, making Link squint to see it. "There's some left, by the inner island."

Sure enough, there was. There was a bridge that spanned from the lakeside town to a little islet, and then another bridge from there to a bigger island (now hills, since the water was gone) where stood a lonely dead tree and a shiny surface of white on a plane of dying grass.

Link had a feeling it would be one of those platforms…

Sheik shouldered what was left of his supplies before heading to the lakeside town Link had previously traversed. "We'll cross the bridges, scope out what we can, and possibly stay the night at the village before we do anything else."

"Sure." Link was far from sure. But he followed Sheik anyway, thinking at least he'd be able to report back to his father that night, once he found some sort of mirroring surface to draw the circle of blood.

They entered town, which was now in a state of wary hostility. The children were nowhere in sight, having been locked inside with their mothers. The men and young boys were patrolling the edges of the town with open bravado and veiled fear, looking none too happy with the new presence of strangers.

Of course, it was the White Wolfos and its Rider that concerned them.

They were allowed in once the healers checked them for any malignant energies, and finding none (Link was tempted to dance and point and laugh—there was no such _thing_ as malignant energy) they were free to wander the village, as long as they did as they said, which was to travel to the lake's islands. They were escorted, just to be sure.

Link wanted to cut them down, disliking being so closely watched. That urge passed when they set foot on the first of two bridges that spanned the now empty lake, and instead Link was swallowed by sadness.

He compared the desert with the state of the lake now, and likened them between a soggy corpse and dried up bones. Bones you could look at without too much emotion, because the death was so far away. There was an echo of life lost, but not enough to hurt. But this, when there was still a squelch of a stinking death, miserable, not quite a fresh kill, still on the verge of rot... the kind of corpse you want to bury and hide away so no one else could feel this nausea, the kind of death that you wished you could've stopped.

_You don't always feel that way, do you_.

"Does this make me a good person, then?" Link spat ironically, making Sheik stare at him oddly, "Because all it's doing is making me _miserable_."

"Where did that come from?"

"A lake is meant to be pure, and beautiful, and life-giving. This is just a corpse. Can it even be saved?"

"Don't you want it to be?"

"_Of course I do_!"

Link bit back, almost recoiled from his own shout. He looked away, made himself breathe. He shouldn't let it get to him. Sheik would only find it suspicious.

"Are lakes and water alike important in Termina?" Sheik asked conversationally, pressing on. The bridge creaked and swayed as he moved, and Link had to hold onto the rope hand-rails to keep balance. Sheik had no trouble with the swaying at all.

"Not Termina as a whole, I think," Link muttered, forcing himself onward. "Just the Wastelands."

"You live in a wasteland?"

"Eh, that's its most common and derogatory name." Link shrugged, thinking of the Gerudo Desert. "The only water that you can find is deep in the earth, and building a well is a mother of a task; virtually impossible. We still wonder how the elder people managed to build the three that already exist."

"What is it like?"

"It burns." Link couldn't help but say with a small laugh, "It burns the skin, burns the mind, burns the heart. It's a punishing land, but if you're born and bred into it, you're one tough cookie to beat in all manners of life."

"You speak quite fondly of it, for an exiled man."

Link glowered.

"I can feel your gaze; I don't enjoy being glowered at."

"Then please leave me to my story." Link huffed, making Sheik chuckle for some reason. "Anyway, the land is known as Theagra to the people, in the ancient language. It means grandmother, or something like it. Elder One, maybe. We have a belief that the earth will eventually die, become barren, even more barren that it already is, till nothing can survive. Then it'll heal, like a scab, and life will come back again. The problem is, we haven't figured out whether the land is about to die, or if it's about to de-scab."

"Why not just come back after a millennia?"

"What's the point of a reward if you don't earn it?" Link shrugged, "At least that's their thinking. And if they're on the wrong side of the cycle, so be it. Let the earth die, let them die with it. They're gonna come back to a better state anyway."

"You're talking about your people, aren't you?" Sheik asked, looking back, even pausing in his progress over the bridge. "Why do you speak as if you're an outsider?"

"Because I _am_. Not only am I an exile, I'm adopted. But I love the people who raised me, and I share their beliefs. Or try to, to some extent."

"You're an interesting man."

"Not as interesting as the stand-in Hero of Time," Link teased, making Sheik scowl. "Come on, I've had my gush about the past, now it's your turn. How did you get stuck in this role?"

"Destiny, fate, whatever you want to call it," Sheik replied stonily, continuing his relentless march, "I was put to work being the playmate and protector of Princess Zelda, as my cousin was her nursemaid. I have a talent with magic in music, a trait needed in aiding, or _being_ the Hero of Time. I, among others, was put to a test, and being the victor, I won my lyre. I was naturally trained to fight, being close to the Princess, but… things got more intense afterwards."

"So where's the real Hero of Time?"

"I'm looking." Sheik scowled, scratching his head in a clearly frustrated gesture, "I was supposed to meet him… or her, I suppose, the Princess remembers only so much… at the Temple of Time, but there was nobody there. So I… just, did what I thought was right."

"Which is, put yourself in mortal danger and see what happens?"

Link was glowered at, this time. "What makes you any different?"

"I want to go home, and I like lakes. It's completely self-serving."

"Sure, sure," Sheik grunted, alighting on the first island, now heading for the next. There was a graveyard here too, smaller than Kakariko's but definitely too large for a village that small. Link stared at the cleanest ones, noting how they tended to span the last seven years.

"So… you think your King did this? To the lake?"

"I have no doubt. And he is not my King."

"Why? He comes from a wasteland, of a sort, like me. I can't imagine him ruining a large amount of water like this."

"You don't know him like this whole country does." Sheik spat, already crossing the second bridge. Sighing Link followed, staring at the graves one more time before stepping on the rope-bridge.

"Your King is proving himself to be a hard man to love." Link commented, making Sheik snort.

* * *

><p><strong>Admittedly a short chapter compared to the previous ones, but hey. There's plenty more to come, and chapter 10 (which I've just started working on) is going to be huge. I just have a feeling. <strong>

**Anyway, criticism welcome as well as praise, since you guys give me so much I'm beginning to become a little smug wiht myself, lol.**

_**SynnoftheSun**_**: Oh yes, Ruto is just one very hard fish to beat, in terms of love. I think ladies can learna thing or two from her (though she really does need to learn to let go, too). I really wanted to explore that, eh, the whole war not being a one-sided thing. The game _Last Story_ inspired me a little in order to go deeper into the story, so yeah, you'll find more on that later. I hope you enjoy!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: I love insane characters! XD It makes me feel as if I have friends in t hat department. Anyway, yeah, I have a feeling that Navi's going to get worse and Link will lose it soon. Or not. I haven't quite decided on how he's going to end up, actually. As for Navi being an unhelpful horrible voice in his head, it's because that's all she is right now, a voice in his head. It goes away when Link's angry becuase he doesn't focus on her, and she calls him names and makes him feel horrible because at those times she manifests as his self-hatred. I hope I can get into more detail between Link and her before things went to hell, but the opportunity hasn't risen yet. My bad. :S**

_**daimee**_**: Link and his backstory come in a little later, so I really do hope you stick around long enough for me to put it up online, lol. I'm glad you and so many other people seem to enjoy this fic; I hope you liked the next instalment, and see you soon!**

_**Insane. Certifiably: **_**Lol,****I didn't mean for ****Darunia and****Ruto to talk in Old Style English, more... just differently. Like Gaebora and his 'h', I wanted Darunia to sound round and tough while Ruto... more poetic? Proud? Perhaps traditional, since that's how Iview Zoras in hyrule are like. I just wanted them to be different, really. It'll be a while till Link meets Zelda, but I hope by then it'll be worth the wait. See you next time!**

**_Charmander Wizard_: Yes, Link can be pretty nasty. Like Father like Son. But with Navi around, I'm sure he'll get better (or even much, mcuh worse). I hope you stick around long enough to find out which way he goes! XD**

_**Guest**_**: Yup. Link really is screwing himself over no matter which side he ends up choosing. So far he's with Ganondorf, but oh, you never know. Thank you so much for your praise, and I hope I get to see you again, Guest! XD**

_**Kelleboi**_**: Why thank you; I do make sure my descriptions are up to standard, though I have no idea whose standards I'm abiding by, lol. I hope you enjoyed Blue Pearls as well, though I admit I haven't updated that fic in yoinks. My baaaad. **

_**Havok's Tears**_**: Thank you so much for your praise! I try as much as I can to make Link completely mad yet make a _semblan_ce of sense, or else, you know, he'd not much of a character, is he? I hope you continue enjoying reading this as much as me writing this. Have a nice day, and yeah. Leave another review, yeah?**

_**Thaytay**_**: On the whole, 'Link won't be given a horse or something like it' issue, that was just Link being REEEAAAALLY paranoid. If he had asked, Ganondorf would've given him one of his best horses, but didn't because that would be a little too conspicuous. He'd only _just_ remembered a few weeks ago about Navi, and then she started talking in his head and that's been sending his thought-processes down the drain. So yeah, not thinking too deeply into it. Beisdes, I like people thinking about my fic and asking questions. Keep'em coming!**

**So yeah, thanks again for the reviews, and I hope to see you soon!**

**Yours Sincerely,  
>S.S.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**So here's chater 8! What's in it? No idea! I wrote this so long ago and I haven't read it over in a while, so yeah. I do, however, remember there being some intrigue... **

**Why did I not update in so long? Because I was hoping for more reviews. Lol, sad soul I am. **

**Anyway, I figured you guys have waited long enough, so here it is! Chapter 8. ENJOY**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Chapter<strong>_

The platform was indeed there, after a good hour of crossing that final haphazard bridge. It lay under the dead black tree (done in by a lightning strike, splitting it in two), pristine and blinding if you stood at the wrong angle.

Link tapped it with his steel-shod boots, and shrugged. "If this is here, where's the Temple?"

"In its element."

The Hylian rolled his eyes at that. "It must be one tiny, tiny temple."

"On the contrary…" Sheik leaned over the lip of the island and Link had to suppress a lethally playful urge to push him to a very long drop. "I think I see a structure. A gate."

"Let's keep hoping," Link sighed, eyeing the puddle below. It didn't look too deep. Maybe he'd be okay.

_Shouldn't you mention that you can't swim?_

Link determinedly shook his head as Sheik shimmied his way down to the sodden floor of the lake, reminding himself and _her_ that he may not be a good swimmer, but he could float. Heck he'd taught his sisters to do the same, and he knew how to paddle.

_You're going to drown_.

Link ignored her as he unsheathed two knives from his belt and used them as handholds for his descent. A thrill of panic passed through him as he realised that the puddle was a lot deeper than he'd expected, and that his boots wouldn't allow him to float. He scooted to the edge of the pool before splashing into the water, bitingly cold, singeing his toes numb. It lapped up to his chest and he shuddered as his boots dragged him down. This was really, really bad.

_Told you so_.

"I found a gate. It's open now." Sheik hollered from the middle of the pool, before diving right back down. "See you there!"

_Take your boots off at least. _

Link told her to shut up before scooting back up to the shallows, finding a place where the floor jutted down to the deep dark, and clawing in a huge breath into his chest he jumped in.

The boots took him right under. His sporadic kicks didn't propel him enough into the tunnel, so he ran as soon as he touched down, or what he supposed was running, since his body didn't seem to remember how it was done; moreover, the water wouldn't let him. He tried to get Navi to tell him how to do it right but she was just screaming _STOP IT, STOP IT_, and it didn't help subduing his fears.

He couldn't resurface for another breath (which he was in a way thankful, since he couldn't rethink his decision), so he grabbed a jutting piece of the passage-wall and heaved himself forward, forward, into the pressing dark. The cold gripped his fingers and numbed them immediately. He couldn't see at all; he tripped often, his hands got cut against hostile coral. He closed his eyes, the water-pressure too much for them.

Panic brewed in his chest as his own breath strangled him. Let a little out, his instincts screamed at him, _let it out_! Link allowed it to happen, feeling the bubble whisper against his skin as it flew away. A shiver raced down the hollow of his spine as the instinct to breathe in was denied of him. He wondered what drowning would feel like.

_DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT! _ Was Navi's shrill scream and he obeyed to the best of his powers, even as his heart raced for air, desperate air.

The passage curved into a dead-end. Link forced his eyelids up and saw light, which must, _must_ mean air, freedom, but the soles of his boots were weighing him down.

He could take them off. He could abandon them, kick off the ground, rush and rush for the water's surface, to simply breathe_._

_Do it! Link do it now or you'll die!_

But Ganondorf had given him these boots. They'd gotten him through the whole year, they still fit him perfectly, they were _special_ and what (his absurdly practical part of his mind pointed out) exactly was he going to wear once he abandoned this pair? He didn't _have _ a spare.

His Father had given them to him.

_LINK!_

He climbed. He scrambled up the wall with renewed vigour and desperation, a band of fire tightening around his lungs, killing him slowly, a burst of air escaping through his teeth made him stop to grab his mouth and nose, telling himself, _ordering_ himself to _not breathe in _and it was agony as he climbed, the flickering shimmering light of the surface tantalizing him with far away freedom-

_Oh Goddesses Link LISTEN to me Link please WATCH OUT-_The warning came too late.

The opaque monster loomed and brushed the back of his head with its jelly membrane, at first softly, before knifing his existence with power.

Link's body arched. His mind went white with pain as the rest of the air was violently expelled from him. He gasped; water rushed in and overwhelmed him completely. He couldn't breathe. He didn't remember how to breathe, much less what breathing was. The light above flickered. He closed his eyes even as he reached for it, thinking… knowing…

He was going to see Navi again.

He thought something jerked his arm. The light disappeared as his chin slipped towards his chest, vaguely feeling a strange heavy wind pulling at his helm, through his hair. Then pain clenched stomach. He vomited.

Link hurled again, coughing, hacking as he struggled to free himself of the water's clutches, but something else was holding him, what was it, a monster? He struggled harder and that wrenched another attack of water erupting out of his mouth, nose, his _eyes_. His core burnt as he was dragged to something solid, and he managed to drag himself up before hurling again, the back of his throat and roof of the mouth stinging, ringing in his ears, by gods, by gods, it _hurt_.

When his body finally decided that the fatal amount of liquid was gone, Link shivered in his foetal ball, coughing. "Ugh. Argh, damn. Hurts."

Sheik sounded astoundingly tired. "You're an idiot."

Link coughed.

"Why didn't you abandon those shoes?" he griped with huge exasperation, "They all but killed you."

"Gift… from father."

Sheik grunted as Link held his nose, breathing through his mouth, screwing up his face. His sinuses were prickling and itching like nothing else. Gods, it hurt. "You're still an idiot."

Link nodded, rubbing his nose, holding back a sneeze. "Granted."

"Can you even swim?"

Link burst out laughing. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Why did you follow me in, then! ?" Sheik finally burst out with his complete anger, having recovered from the impromptu rescue, "What you did was _madness_! Dying by being monster kibble is one thing but of _drowning_? This is the _Water Temple_! You must have a death-wish coming here without being able to _swim_."

"In my defence," Link coughed as he struggled up to sit at the water's edge, first washing his hands before cupping a sip of water to his lips. After his drink Link smiled at Sheik, who looked ridiculous trying to keep that facecloth from asphyxiating him. "I like water. And lakes. My land has very, _very_ little of either. I wanted in on helping out. Besides, it's a _temple_. We have air. It can't be that bad."

"Feast your eyes, traveller." Sheik said, waving over his shoulder.

Link did, and his eyes' appetite turned sour. "You've got to be kidding me."

The temple was cavernous, with one tower-like pillar standing in the centre. There were obvious levels to it, three stories or floors, and the walls surrounding on all four sides had doors and passageways leading to most-likely winding, confusing corridors. And there were a conspicuous number of monsters lurking in the crystal-lit temple.

Oh, and two of those levels was completely immersed in water.

"One phrase comes to mind," Link sighed, taking off his heavy helm with the coned cap, emptying it of water. "Too much of a good thing."

Sheik snorted.

"Seriously." Link grumbled, staring at the pool, "This is ridiculous. There is _too much water_ in one spot. How is it not filled up anyway? Why is there air here?"

"Magic, perhaps?" Sheik shrugged, "I don't care. You're staying here, by the way."

"You can't make me," Link taunted, sticking out his tongue, "I _can_ swim. Well, I can float. I can cross short surface areas."

They argued for a while, but came to an understanding. Link would set up camp at the ledges of the pillar, to keep gear that needed to stay dry, _dry_, and to figure out what to do with himself as Sheik looked around for clues.

In a way, Link was grateful for the isolation. Sheik was determined to keep his face covered and the sight of him keeping his cowl up whilst it was sopping wet and sticking to his face, was at worst annoying and distracting; at best, utterly hilarious. But it was a distraction from a niggling thought that was building a sandstorm inside his head, and he needed to be left alone to properly think on it. And he had never been a true thinker. He sat next to the meagre fire he'd prepared, wiping the precious Dragmire's Blade of any rusting water.

_Too much of a good thing. _The Gerudo knew too well of the vice of excess. They say that it was this original sin that brought the desert to ruin, that the people before had dried up all the rivers and cut down all the trees without thinking of the consequences; that the lands had been as beautiful and plentiful as the lands here in Hyrule, but the people had squandered it. _Some_ say that was why the Gerudo only gave birth to a man once every hundred years; because men had ruined the land, the gods decided to cut down their number, which, as far as godly-common-sense went, was pretty dumb, but that was beside the point.

If you ate too much, you sickened, you expelled it. If you drank too much (alcohol in this case) you earn a headache, and/or expel it. Sleep too much, you feel dead and groggy; if you slept under the sun you were lucky to even wake up. On the whole, excess was a killer in the desert. Too much of a good thing was no good thing at all.

So, was Ganondorf's power, the power that'd helped many Gerudo lives, too much for him now? Was the power taking him over? Turning him into a monster?

Link shook his head. A monster had no daughters. A monster had no love. Besides, Ganondorf had always been a merciless man, and it was expected of a king; especially one born of the desert, _and _conquered another land. You had to be firm, or else there was bound to be dissension. Mercy, especially in the early part of the reign, can't be tolerated.

But now? What about now? Wasn't it time to loosen the hold, to be more merciful? Or wasn't it time yet? Link rubbed his head, pacing around the gathered gear. He was no King, and no Prince, at least in this sense. He was a born right-hand man, and Ganondorf had even told him, respected him, adored him for it. He would be a perfect protector for his sisters, no matter who took Ganondorf's legacy. Link had prided himself on that.

Well, left-hand man, Link couldn't help but think. Speaking of…

One of the scratches of the coral had hit him badly on his left wrist, which was completely stupid and _inconvenient. _The puncture wound the stupid owl had given him had healed enough for the arm to be fine, but now this? _This_? He tried gripping his blade but it gave a twinge of protest, and he knew all too well that it was those kinds of twinges that killed you.

He was stuck with using his right hand for a little while longer.

_Oh boohoo, the poor little puppet can't cut anything. How miserable it must be._

Link winced. "Navi."

_Why do you insist on thinking he isn't a monster? _

"Because he wouldn't have raised me if he was."

_That is a silly basis. His best cronies washed your brain. Like a dirty rag. _

"We still don't know whether he _ordered it_!"

_We both know what you're thinking in terms of that…_

"Navi, please, you don't know… you don't know what it's like…"

There was a splash, and Link jumped out of his skin. He held his head and ruffled his hair, scattering Navi's words and his own thoughts. Ugh. He had goose-bumps racing all over his arms and legs. And, the water was receding.

_The water was receding_.

Link bolted upright, disbelief written all over his face. Where in all hell's realms was it all going?

"Oi! Navi!"

Link looked up, and Sheik was waving a bandaged hand. The Hylian waved back before hollering, "I take it you found something?"

"I wonder," Sheik called back coolly, jumping deftly down the crystal-knifed wall, taking one shaft of glowing crystal at a time to drop down to the bottom-most floor. "So are you coming down?"

Link looked at the door into the tower, which was chained closed, before leaning over the three-story-high ledge. "I'll be right there."

He got himself some rope from his pack and tied it to the base of a torch before sliding down it, taking his shield, knife and sword, carefully sheathed. He dangled off the remaining distance before dropping to the squelching floor, grimacing as the mossy stuff clung to the metallic soles of his boots, making them even heavier.

Sheik's footfall was odd as well, it even resembled Link's. He had metal soles strapped to his own shoes, which was odd, since Link was pretty sure that Sheik hadn't had anything weighing him down as he swum, and, just before they were face to face Sheik tossed him something blue and Link barely caught it, finding out as he unfolded it that it was a tunic. Link incredulously looked and felt it over, thinking it felt like silk, only thicker, and… squishier? "Why are you giving me this?"

"It's a Zora's tunic. It'll allow you to breathe underwater."

Link stared at him and cocked his head to the side. "Somehow that seems really doubtful."

"You're alright with tunics that protect you from volcanic heat, but not this."

"Well…"

"Trust me. Just wear it."

Link had his misgivings, but he did it, and it really did work, though it was uncomfortable as all hell to wear it on top of his own hauberk. Once they got through the bottom level and put the water level up they moved back to their haphazard camp to fortify it, or at the very least make sure the valuables couldn't be eaten by stray tektites.

"Where did you get this tunic anyway?" Link asked as he slew a particularly curious tektite that was going through his things, ripping a leg off brutally before chucking it into the fire. "What?" he added as Sheik sort-of glared at him, "Tektite meat is great if you cook it right."

"That was still a very unsavoury way of getting at its leg."

"Not my problem," Link shrugged, checking that nothing was ripped or ruined before changing in and out of appropriate tunics. "So, where did you get this Zora thing? In a treasure chest?"

"It was gifted to me just a while back. From an old friend."

"Ooh, that sounds exciting." Link teased, earning an eye-roll from the Sheikah. "Old friend huh?"

"She's a Zora by the name of Ruto. A princess, by the way."

Link gave Sheik an incredulous look (reminding himself that to the Sheikah he was from Termina) before enquiring, "Isn't a Zora a type of fish?"

"A highly intelligent, sentient, type of fish."

"Not where I come from," Link drawled somewhat derisively in reply. Ruto? That Zora was here? Link didn't know whether he would be able to take the insanity of that creature, especially since she had something to do with his past, the part he didn't remember. _And_ she knew his name; his cover as _Navi _would be broken. Then he frowned at what Sheik had said. "Princess? Royalty?"

"Yes. Zelda's correspondent, as it happens."

"What's a Princess doing _here_ in this monster-riddled place?"

"She wants to save her people, Navi. I find that commendable."

Link couldn't possibly respond, since it was something he himself was trying to do. Sighing, the Hylian shrugged before sorting out his things, abandoning his helm onto the soggy pile of his clothes, deciding woefully that it would only be a nuisance. His whole gear was unsuited to the terrain, the complete reverse of the Gerudo expectation of survival. Glancing at Sheik, who was cleaning out the very object that Link was chasing him for, decided finally that it was safe to ask: "So did you get that from her as well? That instrument."

"Not exactly." Sheik ran the pad of his thumb against its smooth blue edge, as if he could mould it and sharpen it to a knife's deadly point, before peering into a hole to make sure there wasn't water inside. "An ocarina, a type of flute. Never seen one before?"

"Not really, you hardly find any where I come from." Then he remembered Saria, and added, "Didn't Saria, you know, from the Kokiri forest have one? But I think it was made out of wood."

"Yes, this is made out of porcelain."

"Looks expensive."

"It's precious, yes."

"And magical, right?" Link prodded, waving back at where they'd come, "The mark that you played in front of, it triggered the water-flow, right?"

"Mm."

"What else can it do?"

Sheik laughed and finished the conversation with the words: "More than you can imagine."

… … … … …

Link hated the Water Temple.

It didn't deserve to be called a Temple, it was more like a maze, or an arsenal, or a dungeon, or _something. _It just didn't deserve the title, as Ganondorf had said. No wonder he'd cursed it to its state. The Forest Temple he couldn't judge, since he hadn't gone in there, but the Fire Temple? It had been carved into a mountain full of lava, he'd sort of decided/assumed that the point of the odd structure of the place was to make sure it didn't collapse on itself, but now? It must have been a deliberately vicious attempt at making worship impossible.

Then Link caught sight of something truly odd and misplaced.

He stared at it for a while, utterly confused, as Sheik tried to figure out which of the keys he'd collected would fit the particular lock. The structure was new, that was obvious; the material used to build it was completely different to any used to build the temple. The crystal on top of the simple statue was ridiculously familiar. Link unsheathed his sword, and tapped it. It flashed yellow and _blimp_ed, making something move on the other side of the room.

The sandstone was badly damaged in the watery terrain, but it was obviously Gerudo made.

"Sheik?"

"Yes, Navi?"

"What is this? I mean, like, the symbol. It's not like anything we've seen before. And this… whatever this is. It's new, and it's not really part of the temple's crystal theme décor."

Sheik looked at it carefully, before shrugging. "The symbol is of the Gerudo. As for the crystal, it activates things."

"Yeah, I figured that, but what's an enemy tower thing doing here?"

Sheik had obviously not thought on it as deeply as Link had hoped he had. "A sign of subjugation?"

"Oh come on, you're kidding yourself, right?" Link scoffed, sheathing his blade so Sheik wouldn't see the Dragmire design that ran across the metal, "It's _useful_. It gets us across to places that we would've struggled to get to on our own. Judging by the damage of the sandstone it's maybe… four years, three years old. If this… what's the current King's name again?"

"Ganondorf." Sheik replied, staring at Link with a new kind of interest.

"Right. Ganondorf. Anyway, if he had invaded this place seven years ago, it doesn't fit with the subjugation symbol or whatever. _It makes no sense._ Who put it here? If it was the Gerudo, _why_? I mean, _it's helping us_."

"Perhaps it's a disguise?" Sheik theorized, shrugging and returning to the door, finally unlocking it, gesturing at Link to hurry up, "Maybe the symbol was put there to mislead the Gerudo in the event that patrols were sent here?"

"If they come from the desert like me, I doubt they'd come here just to drown themselves," Link muttered, following Sheik into the room.

Link suddenly felt a chill that had nothing to do with the physical drop in temperature.

The room was cold. Not ice cold, but it was close enough; the air fogged as the two warriors breathed. It was the blankest yet brightest room they'd been in so far; in fact it didn't seem like a room, more like an endless white void where a doorframe stood over that way, and a dead tree in the middle.

The door behind them closed and locked itself.

Sheik cursed and headed for the other side, weapon ready for battle. Link wandered to the side with a hand raised, touching an invisible wall, following it, seeing how large the room was. Maybe there was a secret compartment or panel that they were meant to find…

The chill raced up his spine. Link shivered violently.

"Sheik?" Link called, clutching his sides, "I don't like this place."

"I've heard you mention that a dozen times already, Navi, I don't want to hear it again."

"But it's not-" the shiver attacked him again, rattling his ribs, squeezing his heart. He gave a guttural gasp, catching Sheik's attention.

Link's gaze hit the floor, and there was a reflection of himself, only black, like pitch, a shadow birthed to life. Link stared at the reflection, and the reflection cocked its head and smirked with monstrous teeth. It reached for him _through the floor_ and grabbed his hand and _yanked_.

"Whoa!" Link was slammed onto one knee and his arm went elbow deep into the floor. What terrified him was that he couldn't feel it; it was like the arm didn't exist anymore. Link braced against his legs and grabbed his own arm and pulled, grinding out something along the lines of 'a hand would be nice' to Sheik who was racing towards him.

They heaved together, the dark doppelganger of Link snarling and growling as he lost ground, the black hand that grasped the wrist emerging into their world. Link glared at the thing that was trying to take him, to drown him, the one thing he didn't want to do again, as Sheik readied a needle and prepared to stab its hand.

_Hey, listen, do you think that's what you'd look like, if the true you were revealed?_

Navi's poisonous hiss broke his concentration and Link breathlessly plunged face first into the floor, and through it, towards himself, who laughed and kicked off his back like a platform, springing into battle with the Sheikah.

Link blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm fairly sure that I have made my hatred for the water temple apparent numerous times within these fanfics (or maybe this is the first one, I don't know who I complain to anymore) but yeah. <strong>

**I HATED THE WATER TEMPLE SO MUCH. In fact I hate all water-based temples because you had to use so much devices to get the level/tide/pressure/direction right OR NOTHING HAPPENED. By gods. **

**Anyway, a little more interesting than previous chapter, and here are the review replies!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: That is the one question I cannot answer, sorry! You're going to have to find out whether Link and Sheik get along or not yourself (And that sentence was grammatically poorly structured, my bad). But yeah, I can say there will be massive ups and downs. Thanks for the praise, I hope to see you in the next review!**

_**darkwolflink**_**: Yup, I have no idea how Sheik found Link, but I'm just going to say that Sheik was on his way to the Lake and 'just so happened' to stumble on the unconscious Hylian (suspension of disbelief, please. XD) Anyway Ihope this chapter hasn't been a disappointment, and that the water temple was as interesting as you remembered it to be.**

_**daimee**_**: A bit of Link's backstory will be popping up here and there from these chapters onwards, so I hope you'll be looking forward to that. Thank you for sticking around and I'll be waiting for your review!**

_**CatsGotTongue**_**: I got really worried when I saw your review and checked and yeah your review for 6 wasn't there, but that's okay, lol. I'm just glad you still like the story! Thanks for the awesome description on Link's sanity in your review, it was pretty awesome. As Sheik's gender, IT'S A SECRET. I decided for once that he is going to STAY mysterious because I love messing with my readers. I'm a horrible person. Anyway, I hope I'll see you in the next review! XD**

_**Havoc's Tears**_**: Thank you so much for your praise, I'm glad you enjoy my characters. :) Oh, Sheik, I don't know how you keep popping into Link's life but I'll just blame it on destiny/fate. XD Anyway, here's the update, hope you enjoy, and I look forward to your next review. **

_**HeroofTimes**_**: Here's the continuation, and I hope you like it just as much as the others!**

**Please leave a review! XD You all know how important it is to all of us. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello there my dear dear readers! Sorry for the late update, I was just waiting in the corner, waiting for the review numbers to rise... alas it reached 5, which I am very grateful for, and I figured you've waited long enough so here is chapter 9! Would you believe it if I told you you were the luckier ones? My previous stories took like, months to update. MONTHS. **

**Amyway, here it is. I hope you enjoy, and I'll go back to my little dark corner with my little laptop, clicking te refresh button endlessly on my stats page. **

**I am honest to god that sad. **

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Chapter<strong>_

The sun burnt as it always did, and Link had come to love it.

Sure, he couldn't get the hue of nuts and wood and bread from the orb in the sky as his sisters could, but he loved the heat, how it seemed to make living so much more… _worthy_. He understood hardship and the rewards of living through it, and that was a gift only his new father could have ever given him.

Oh, and his sisters. Speaking of, he wondered where the twins were; Tsulen and Tarrimb were meant to show him what to wear for the dinner. He got out of the Great Gate's shade, and dug a stick into the ground. Judging by his impromptu sun-dial it was the time when those two would either be napping or doing what they enjoyed. Either way, they'd be in their room.

But first he decided to pay a visit to the Outer Fortress before heading back to the Royal Quarter.

The Inner Fortress, behind the archery, was where the children and the aged spent most of their time, enjoying the sun, reading scrolls, generally living their lives without the troubles of military combat. The Outer Fortress, located closest to the desert and the path that led to Hyrule Proper, was where the fit women trained and fought and did their compulsory service, and was usually left alone by children his age.

Link quickly entered the Outer Fortress, looking for the eldest sister, Alita.

She was twenty years old, and was preparing to leave for Hyrule that night to join their father. She was his goal, his idol, and in a small way his jealousy incarnate. She was strong and tough and brash and was very like their father; she excelled in everything Gerudo. She would make an excellent Queen in the distant future, when Ganondorf went to rest.

Naturally he loved to pester her. And her friends. As he dashed through all corridors and rooms he could find he shouted one thing only: "Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally, Ally,"

"_Link! Shut the fuck up!_"

"Oooh, tough language for a lady of high standing!" he yelled into the communal kitchen area, where everyone was glaring/staring/sighing at him. He found her amongst the crowd, face beet red, amber eyes murderous.

"_I will be standing ON you if you don't get out of here soon!_"

"How soon is soon?"

She was trying to get to where he was without being noticed too much by the others, who were snickering at her, but she was painfully tall, an attribute she both hated and prided in. Link grinned and stuck his tongue out at her, before hollering something nonsensical and insulting, which earned a muffled laugh from their audience and Alita shrieked and gave hot pursuit.

The thing he'd learnt early on was that being small could be an advantage; big things couldn't get at you in small nooks and crannies, and Link knew from previous excursions like this that there were plenty of places in the fortress. He used them all in this particular chase.

Alita was furious. Link laughed and cackled as he weaved through crowds of women soldiers who knew this routine too well, dodging both the Hylian boy and the Gerudo woman, rolling their eyes as they cheekily tried to trip both of them up with their spears and cutlass' sheathes. They usually got Alita, which infuriated her even more.

"Come back here you moon's spit!"

"Not a chance in your life, dirt-bag!"

Link ran up a wall, grabbed a supporting beam and hauled himself up before scurrying along it, knowing his sister was in hot pursuit. He jumped across to another beam (an insane move that he'd once nearly killed himself doing) and slipped through a skylight onto the roof, blowing a raspberry at his hunter before scampering away.

Link waited cheekily on the hatch that led up to where he was, and there was a mighty _bang_ underneath him. "Link! You liver-worm, get off this hatch right now!"

"Parlay!"

"No way in fucking hell you piece of-"

"Parlay!"

There was a mindlessly angry shriek from below.

"Come on, Ally, I have a flask full of water. If you want it, parlay with me."

He imagined her taking a deep breath, suppressing the temper she'd inherited from their father. "Fine. Fine. Parlay, then."

He got off the hatch and sprinted a good distance away before the hatch erupted open, the murderous smirk on Alita's face fully informing him that she had no intentions of respecting the parlay. Link held out a flask with a hesitant smile, and from the steam, Alita saw that it was chilled ice cold.

This completely baffled her. "What the…?"

"It's your last day, right?" Link pointed out, slowly scooting closer to her, "You won't get the sun like this over there, trust me, I know. And, well, I wanted to give you a proper goodbye. Here." He handed her the flask, which was bitingly cold against her hot hands, and quickly scooted away. "Like I said I would, I finished that Room of Ordeals."

The Room Of Ordeals was the high-league training area in which Gerudo earned their most prized magic; the ability to make thing cooler. On rare occasions, ones with higher ability could make things turn to ice, like Kotake could do.

Link's knack for magic, evident in the flask, was stupendous.

"And, and," Link added, as Alita stared at him with new respect, who seemed unaware of how important his achievement really was, "I made you flat-cakes, and dried leever meat. See?"

He handed these to her too. Almost on cue her stomach growled.

She frowned. "Wasn't this your allowance of flour? And where did you… oh goddess, don't tell me you went to the desert."

"Just on the other side of the gate, in my defence," Link grinned, holding up his hands in defeat, "I was only looking for a bubble-cactus; I just got lucky with that leever."

"Link…"

"I just… wanted to do this again before you went. I won't be seeing you for like, what, three years? I'm gonna miss you."

Alita stared at him for what seemed like forever, and it unnerved him a little; Alita had never been affectionate to him, true, but the gaze she gave him was almost… suspicious. Then she sighed, smiled, and gave him a tight hug, which he gratefully returned. It occurred to him then that this may have been the first time that they'd even done this.

On letting him go, she bit the sun-baked cake and washed it down with ice-cold water, complementing him on his unusual culinary skill.

Link didn't get to smile because Alita slapped him upside the head, twice, for being such an idiot about it.

… … … … …

He collapsed on the rug in the twins' room, and Tarrimb scowled at him. "You stink."

"Yup." He nodded sagely, rolling on the rug and spreading his stinky sweat and inducing Tsulen to kick him off it. Link chuckled on the cool polished stone floor, his sweat-soaked back freezing against the surface. He sighed, and added, "Alita says bye."

"You actually did it?" Tsulen said from the other side of the room, Tarrimb returning to her scroll, "I'm surprised you're not dead."

"I'm surprised that you still haven't decided what to wear." Link called back, a little gruffly. Ever since she and her twin had turned thirteen Tsulen had declared herself a budding fashion-setter and stylist, and was almost always wearing an attitude that irked him. He was just glad Tarrimb was the same as always.

The reply was a disdained: "Boys."

His ire flared. "I'm the only guy around! You can't judge men by me."

"Humph," she returned to her mirror, twisting this way and that as she held at least three shades of like-like silk against herself. "Tar, I want one of these three, which one do you think I should go for?"

Tarrimb looked up, rolled her eyes, and returned to her scroll. "I thought you didn't like yellow."

"Well, this one's kind of nice… anyway, as a stylist, I shouldn't turn away from any colour. Everything should be experimented on."

Link and Tarrimb shared a look.

"You still haven't decided what to wear?" the voice came from the doorway, and all three siblings looked at the source of the voice.

It was the (original) middle child, Mika, sixteen and lean and gorgeous. Link as an afterthought attributed Tsulen's new obsession with beauty to jealousy of Mika; as a man Link _knew_ she was attractive, from the proud slant of her nose, the glimmer of her eyes, to the way she simply _stood_. A few months into training as a soldier and she already looked better than ever. Link couldn't wait to spar with her.

"Lensie, let me have a look, yeah?"

"No." Tsulen crossed her arms and rumpled the silks as she did so. "I don't need help."

"Oh, come on, please? I'll do your hair if you'd let me help, you'll look utterly gorgeous."

"… Um… Well…"

As the two sisters decided on the silks and how to wear them and on what kind of style they should arrange each other's hair Link rolled his tongue inside his mouth before tapping Tarrimb's shoulder, gesturing with his head towards the doorway. The Gerudo girl gave a quizzical frown as she rolled the scroll closed, calling, "Lensie, Mika, I'm just going to help Link with _his_ hair. I'll be right back."

Link scowled at her excuse for leaving (to which she stuck out her tongue at) as the two of them left the room, crossed the corridor, went up the stairs and stepped onto the roof, sitting at their favourite shelter, shaded from the brutal sun.

"What's wrong?" Tarrimb immediately asked, her short hair flickering like fire in the wind. She didn't like being a twin, simply because she didn't want to be part of a set. Tsulen liked it for the 'cute' effect, but this twin couldn't have cared less. She just wanted to learn.

"What do you think of the Rovas?"

Another reason why Tarrimb didn't like being a twin; the Rova Sisters had taken the good out of it, _and_ had added all twins from there on in to suffer an expectation to do great wonders. "You know I don't like them."

"Yeah, but… what do you _think_ about them? Do you think they're… crazy?"

New confusion touched her gaze as she stared at him, the boy that'd ended up becoming her brother, who only two and a half years ago had been an utter stranger. "Why? Do _you_ think so?"

"I don't know. It's, you know how I have to go see them again tomorrow?"

"Already? But I thought it was next month."

"They moved it. I don't want to go." Link hugged his knees, staring out at the shimmering, burning air of his home. "I really, really don't want to go."

"Well, why?"

"I don't know it when it happens, but times like now, just before I'm going again, it feels like I wasn't _me_ when I got back. Does that make sense?"

She looked completely nonplussed. Link sighed. "Never mind, then."

Tarrimb sat next to him looking furtive, making sure that they were alone before scooting up close to him, whispering, "What do they do?"

Link frowned at the air, trying to remember before whispering back, "They're looking through my head, to see if they can find stuff."

"Like what?"

"Important things for the war."

"But the war's finished. We've won."

"Princess Zelda's still missing. She's supposed to be really dangerous. Or something."

"Oh."

"I mean, I know it's important, I _want_ to help, it's just… I don't think there's anything left I can do. I… what if they dig too deep? What if they shove their magic into my head so much that it breaks? What if I'm not _me_ anymore?"

Tarrimb looked genuinely scared, and suddenly Link wished he hadn't unloaded on her. But Tarrimb took a deep breath and hugged his arm so tightly that it hurt, and she gritted out bravely that he would never ever _ever_ have to go back to those bats again, never ever.

Link was relieved, even if he would go back tomorrow. At least he'd told _someone_.

They got dressed, went to dinner, saw their father for the first time in half a year. Goods such as food and cloth and plants and irrigation plans came with him and there was much rejoicing and _so much food_. Incense was burnt in bushels that night, thanking the goddesses for the bounty, colouring the bonfires in all shades of the rainbow.

Link was called aside by the witches, telling him to pack for tomorrow.

Wincing he did so, as soon as the festivities were over. He blamed his sluggish movement to his eating too much at the festival, to his sneaking too much wine. He packed in the dark to delay himself even more, and winced again when firelight seeped into his room.

"I'm coming, I'm com-father?"

Ganondorf's large frame towered at his door, his severe expression flickering in and out of the hand-held brazier's firelight. "I heard from Tarrimb."

Link shivered. He was definitely in for it now. "Oh. Um, I'm sorry for complaining, father. I know this is important…"

"I asked the others what they thought; they had similar fears."

Hope jumped in his stomach, thudded against his chest. "Really? I, I didn't, well, I,"

"If I had known that this was such an ordeal for you I wouldn't have prolonged it this much, my son." Ganondorf placed the brazier in a slot inside his room, and strode up to him, embraced him. "You've done well to endure it. I am proud of you."

"Really…?"

Ganondorf chuckled, the sound such a low rumble it was animalistic. "Of course."

They separated, and the relief on Link's face was purer than their highest-grade glass. "Thank you, father. Thank you so much."

"Do you still wish to help?"

He nodded vigorously, making Ganondorf smile. They sat on Link's sleeping mat and talked for a very long time, so long that Link earned a promise from Ganondorf that if his teachers approved, he would be allowed into Hyrule earlier than his seventeenth birthday.

Link wondered if Ganondorf knew how strict said teachers were, and that was why he had so readily accepted the deal. But then again, that in itself would help him be the best, and his father deserved nothing less. And finishing three years' worth of lessons in two would be a challenge he was willing to take.

… … … … …

"… i… Nav… Navi!"

"Wha… where…?"

_He's talking to you, not me, you silly forest boy. Are you alright?_

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Link stared at the bandaged fingers and blinked, slowly. Coughed. "…Can you spread them out? It's sort of blurry…"

Sheik did as told, and Link answered correctly. After checking a few of his vital signs Sheik deemed him alright, and they stood together, Link swaying a little. Link winced as a headache flared across his temple but he shook it off, sighing as he commented, "I take it you beat whatever that thing was?"

"Yes, though barely."

Link stood on his own, flexed his limbs to make sure they were working fine before grinning at the Sheikah. "You look pretty good for a 'barely' kind of win."

"I had a fairy."

Link snickered at the irony.

They proceeded through the rest of the temple more cautiously, wary of other shadow-creatures. But it wasn't really necessary; the rest of the temple was just as tedious and no less difficult, until they had to deal with Morpha.

Link kept the hell away from it, repulsed by its very existence. It was slimy, it slithered (he hated snakes) and it could grab them. There was no way the Hylian was going _near _that thing, at least till Sheik fished its brain-like organ out from its watery body with the nifty tool he'd found around the place and they could hack at it; he wasn't going to risk getting drowned again.

This creature was malignant in a different sense to Volvagia. That creature had been all about rage, and pain, and burning passionate _hatred_. This one was quiet, seeping, poisonous; Link knew it had no eyes or mouth or nose but he was willing to bet his father's sword that it could sense them, watched them with a greedy mind, the kind that enjoyed sucking on its food slowly, to make the taste and suffering last.

Link pinned it to the ground where it twitched and squealed as Sheik gave the final blow with the blade that was obviously the Master Sword.

There was a blue light, as before, and Sheik stepped towards it, looking back quizzically at the Hylian when the paler man didn't follow suit. "Aren't you coming?"

"That light transports us outside, right?" Link questioned, Sheik nodding in reply, "Well then I'll go back the long way; our stuff at the main quarter or whatever still needs picking up; besides, I have no place in wherever you're going."

_You don't know that, _whispered Navi conspiratorially, _You've been helping him. Maybe you _do_ deserve a destiny. On the Good side. _

Sheik reluctantly nodded, adding as if he'd heard what Navi had said, "I would've thought you earned it by now."

Link winced internally before giving a gesture of nonchalance. "Eh, destiny. It's limited to a select few."

The red-eyed man snorted and said, "Tell me about it," before entering the portal, where he faded out of existence. Link quickly left the room and traversed the rest of the temple, thinking as he moved. Or at least he tried to, since Navi seemed to be determined in interrupting every train of thought to press forward just one point:

_Admit it. You're thinking it, but you're not because you don't want to. Admit it._

"Sheik still insists on using his knives instead of the Master Sword, so he really isn't him. The Hero of Time, I mean. So where is that guy? Do you think he's hiding? Or _she_?"

_You know that's not what I'm talking about_.

"How old do you reckon this Hero would be? The same as Zelda? No, that'd be too young… maybe just a few years younger than father. It would make more sense… hell, this guy could even be dead, especially if he lived in Castletown."

_You're avoiding the issue_.

"The issue here is that I need to report to father soon," Link groused, killing a stray like-like with brutal efficiency, "And I don't have anything new to say to him expect oh, sorry, I helped kill the thing that was meant to kill Sheik. In my defence, I really didn't like the way it tried to drown me. My bad. I don't even know how close I am to finding Zelda! Do you think I should just, I don't know, kill him off?"

_Then you'll never find her._

"If Sheik's so damn important there'll be a search party, and I can always track that instead of this… double-edged _guilt-trip_. Guilt from you, guilt from father, so much guilt. Guilt, guilt, guilt."

_Only because you're so unnecessarily loyal to him!_

"He loves me! Or did you not see that memory of him just before? He protected me from them! He gave me a family! He's done more for me than _you've_ done for the last few days I've remembered you."

There was an icy silence that put Link to a trembling halt. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

_It's alright. I forgive you._

But Link knew that that was a lie.

… … … … …

Link spat out of the water out of his mouth and took a deep, deep, exaggerated breath of real air and burst out laughing. Oh it felt _good. _

He dragged himself and the gear out of the water that led down to the Temple's gate, and strapping himself to it tightly he used Sheik's nifty tool, called a hookshot or something, and launched himself up onto the tree of the lake.

Sheik wasn't anywhere in sight.

Sighing Link sat and got his gear out to spread over the grass and dry it. He thought whether he had time till Sheik got there to report to his father. He took the risk; he got his helm and polished a section clean, nicking the tip of his finger to draw the circle of blood.

Ganondorf's image was warped, and maybe Link's face was to him as well, but that was expected and a necessary setback. "Son?"

"Yes, Father. I've got something to report."

"What have you achieved thus far?"

"I've located the Master Sword and the Ocarina; both of them are in the hands of a Sheikah who calls himself Sheik and supposedly works for Zelda. I'm gaining his trust, and will be face to face with the Princess soon. And…" Link hesitated.

"Yes?"

"I, I may have been aiding the Sheikah too much, or overly, father. I helped him reach his goals in the Temples. I'm sorry."

"If you're gaining his trust then I consider it a necessary loss. Is there anything else?"

Link opened his mouth, closed it, and then growled. Ethereal light was blooming on the edge of his vision and that meant Sheik was coming back. "Not now, Father. I'll report again soon."

He swiftly wiped the fresh blood off the helmet and continued to polish it, spitting against the bronze to make it shine. "Took you a while," Link commented as he breathed on his helm and gave it a squeaky rubbing.

Sheik looked troubled. He stared at Link for a while, enough to make the Hylian think that he'd been seen conversing with his King. "What's wrong?"

"Ruto spoke of meeting the Hero of Time."

Link's heart stopped. Then raced into action, making him want to cough. The Hero of Time? Nearby? It would ruin all his plans.

"You're kidding."

"She is well acquainted with him, or so she claims."

"But, but…" Link suppressed his panic, and tried to act natural. Disinterested, but mildly curious. And annoyed. Annoyed is a good one. "Why hasn't he, you know, revealed himself to you yet?"

"If that were an answerable question I wouldn't be thinking on it." Was Sheik's irritated snap.

Link shrugged. "True. She could be mistaken?"

"Possibly. He hasn't been seen for the whole of Ganondorf's rule."

"Huh." Link looked away from Sheik briefly, and then laughed. "Look, the lake."

They stared at the once deadened bed of the lake give way to clear water, slowly filling up from the reserves in the Water Temple. Fish emerged, nibbling on their dead counterparts, flashing like beautiful knives under the waves. It took an hour, maybe more, but the two were happy to watch their good work come to fruition, slowly but surely.

The Lake was restored.

"I wish my sisters could see this," Link murmured without thinking, and froze when Sheik said, "Oh?"

"Nothing. Just... nothing."

"Hm."

Sheik sat next to Link as they watched the gratifying spectacle before sighing and turning to the Hylian. "Navi."

"Mm?"

"Why do you want to meet Princess Zelda so much?"

Link rolled his tongue inside his mouth, moulding his next words carefully. "I want to go home as quickly as I can."

"With your skills you could easily fight your way out of Hyrule."

_Why don't you? Run away? Never be seen in this cursed place where all you achieve is subjugation._

"It's not that simple."

"Why?"

_Why?_

Link furiously told the fairy to shut up but she laughed and promised nothing, and he had a feeling she wouldn't tolerate being ignored. Not anymore.

"Because… I told you I came to do a job. Collecting an item that was stolen."

"Yes."

"Well, it's just, I can't justify going home without it, without… doing something greater, in return. Oh, hi Dad, I couldn't get your stuff back, but you know what? There was a civil war, I went to see the Princess, and she assured me a safe passage home. At least, I'd like to be able to say that without lying _completely_. You know what I mean? It's a duty," he said more to Navi, to try to make her understand, "I may not understand how I'm here in this kind of situation, but I want to make the most of it. Even if it leads me to places I may not want to go. That was such an unnecessary speech."

Sheik, after a pause, shook his head. "No, it wasn't. After all, it has convinced me of one thing."

"What?"

"You're an overreaching idiot that's going to get his wish granted. You're going to see Princess Zelda."

* * *

><p><strong>Most reviews I recieved were hoping for a Shadow Link battle, but, no. I want to avoid the details in the temples as much as I can, simply because Sheik's not the main character. And I got a previous request to flesh out Link's background more, so that's what I did. More on Link's past and his relationship will be fleshed out in later chapters. In fact, chapter 10 is probably going to be the longest of the bunch. <strong>

**Anyway, review replies!**

_**daimee: **_**Yayness! Glad you enjoy the relationship between the fairy and Link. :) And, well, as meeting Ruto, I figured it'd get a little too complicated, so I decided to leave her out. :P My bad. And i am so jealous of you not finding the Water temple hard. How did you DO IT? You must be a very, vry patient person, or a genius. Take your pick. XD**

_**darkwolflink1: **_**Yeeeeaaaah, sorry for the lack of a battle between Dark Link and Sheik, I was actually very very tempted to write one, to let Sheik get very suspicious of Link, but then I thought exploring Link's relationship with his gerudo sisters might be more interesting, so yeah. I do make up for it, however, in the next chapter, if I remember right. **

_**CatsGotTongue: **_**Tektite meat again, yes. I wonder why I'm so obsessed with eating those damn things. Maybe it's just my subconscious thinking that they look real tasty. I wonder what that says about me... anyway, and I'm sure playing too much Zelda turning you into a robot is totally legit. I'm sure it would've happened to me if I hadn't turned to fanfics, eh, lol. Anyway, I hope you weren't too dissappointed with the lack of Dark Link, but in real life, I just button-mash the hell out of him. You can actually cut him that way. **

_**Havock's Tears**_**: Thank you! Good to know I DO have a sense of humour. XD Sorry! Sorry! I hope you aren't too disappointed with lack of DL, I just... wanted to explore Link more? I dunno, it seemed a good idea at the time. And running into Ruto would have destroyed Link's cover so i hid him in a corner. You are so right though, Link is such a hypocrite. XD He has no right to call ANYONE insane! I mean, come on! **

_**Kelleboi**_**: Oh yeah, Sheik is definitely going to react when he finds out who Link really is. And Shadow link really was hard to beat, eh. Well I'm glad the story is interesting enough thus far to draw you in. I hope I can continue doing that. :)**

**Have a nice day, guys!**

**S.S.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I love how grovelling gets me twice as many reviews as before. XD I shall continue grovelling, then!**

**Anyway, thank you to all who reviewed (I saw plenty of familiar names there, thank you so much) and I hope you like this chapter too. It features past-Link, more action than ever, and yeah, it's longer than the other by a few pages, to celebrate the tenth chapter. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Chapter<strong>_

It took them a week to get to the camp, and Link was finding dealing with Navi easier (probably because he wasn't doing anything destructive) and living with Sheik almost enjoyable. It niggled with his loyalty for Ganon. As he got to know Sheik better he was finding lying harder; he couldn't quite detach himself from the conversation enough to legitimately convince himself that he wasn't lying.

Thankfully he _did_ have a base to work off of. As far as Sheik knew, Link was from Termina, with a father (still un-named of course) and four sisters (all referred to by their pet and/or nick-names in case Sheik was familiar with Gerudo names) who lived on the border of the Ikana regions. Link, to be independent and follow a particularly good-looking and natured girl, had moved to a village in the forests that bordered the Hylian Lost Woods (where he'd gotten lost as a child and Saria had saved him once or twice). There he'd been exiled for the negligent murder of the Mayor, his notoriety spread, and he earned his living from there on in as a swordsman for hire. His most recent mission is to find his father's stolen relics, and having tracked the thieves to Hyrule he was stuck, the borders infested with monsters.

All he had to do now was focus on tales about his heritage, and family, and add exaggerations and detract details and possibly some silly embellishments. When Sheik mentioned the mystery girl Navi always laughed, wickedly and mockingly, because Link had based that lie on her, the fairy, who he didn't even really remember.

Link kept saying he didn't want to talk about her, and it didn't take long for Sheik to stop asking.

Sheik was following a trail of broken stones, placed deliberately under roots of old trees, in high places, the fragments sometimes so small they were basically a speck of sand. Sheik was finding them with a pendant he had wrapped around his hand, and murmured something each time he found one of the markers.

"So…" Link sighed, feet aching, neck itching from bug-bites. "Are we there soon?"

"We're already here," Sheik chuckled, holding Link's shoulder and spinning him around. Where there only had been mounds of earth and dead trees there was now an inhabitation of Hylians. Link's jaw dropped.

The camp was a lot smaller than he thought it would be, with forty men or so, with something under twenty women, and a total of nine children, most of whom were under the age of five. It was a very good hiding place, considering how it was on the southern border of the Lost Woods. The magic there still leaked and seeped into the 'normal' trees, making the camp difficult to find. On top of that, the magic was potent enough (or the camp had been there long enough) for the tents and shelters to have merged with the environment; the place looked remarkably like the Kokiri Village.

Link curiously looked about, earning strange stares and hostile glares. He suppressed a smirk as he wondered if their guesses to his identity was anywhere near the truth. "I feel duped."

"Stop being so amusing and follow me."

Link frowned. "Why do you suddenly sound so-huh?" The Sheikah was wearing a disguise, one he recognised. "Gerard?"

"Surprise," Sheik grunted in a low voice, tasselled hair almost white compared to his usual impressive blonde, the beard and moustache looking matted and dirty. His skin looked cracked from weather and age, and on top of that his eye was an unremarkable shade of greyish hazel. Under his travelling cloak he was wearing a tunic and leggings, both brown, and his boots were black and scuffed.

"Wait, wait, I asked you for an arm-wrestle at the bar. And, you disappeared at the grave-yard. What? _What_? I am so confused right now."

Why was he giving away his disguise? Delighted though he was, Link was utterly bewildered at his unprofessional behaviour. Sheik-Gerard snorted. "It's a disguise, of a sort."

"Of a _sort_? It's _obviously_ a disguise!"

"What makes you so sure my Sheikah guise is the real me?"

Link stopped at that. He had a fair point. Sheik burst out laughing. "Come on. The Princess awaits."

Link nodded, curiously studying his surroundings as he followed Sheik, pondering how possible it would be to steal away with Zelda in tow and how many of these people he would have to kill to achieve it.

Sheik would be the biggest obstacle, hands down. Not to mention he had the Master Sword and Ocarina, which he could argue were his biggest priority, at least personally. And it was easier to steal objects rather than people. So, should he wait before he did anything seriously stupid, or miss the chance that may not come again?

_Wait. You'll regret this. You should wait_.

Link had the feeling that her reasoning and his differed considerably, but let her have her way.

They were heading to a large tree with a house built around it, obviously their sorry excuse for a fortress. There were thin windows for archers to shoot from, a wide ledge that overhung the surrounding, most-likely to pour boiled water from (since oil would be a bad choice in a terrain like this). There were horses readied for immediate escape, and even from several tens of metres away there were protective walls dotting the way, to protect charging swordsmen from archers and to impede invading horses.

They warily let Sheik and Link through, suspicion written all over their faces.

_This is it. This is really it. You're meeting Princess Zelda_.

It was hard to tell whether that was his own thought or Navi's. But he could already feel his heart racing, sweat slowly coating his palms. Sheik entered a room with the doorway obscured by a tattered cloth, knocking on the frame to get the occupant's attention.

The "Enter," sounded really young.

They talked in whispers and Link nervously shuffled his feet. He wished he had glamour-magic; if Zelda or someone saw the engraving on his sword he was going to be doomed. He'd bound the sword into the sheathe with extensive amounts of rope, telling the pseudo-Hero of Time that it was meant as a sign of peace, which was the case in ancient, _ancient_ Gerudo times. Hopefully the nuisance of untying all those knots would be enough of a deterrent to see what was engraved on the blade.

Sheik as Gerard gestured Link into the room, and Link hurried in, almost stumbling over his own feet. Goddesses, what was wrong with him?

He didn't expect anything in particular, so he didn't know what to make of the girl that stood before him, at a table full of maps and reports and a bird perched on her wrist. She was young, maybe sixteen, seventeen, no older than nineteen for sure. Her light brown hair was long, her skin unblemished except for her hands, raw from over-use. Her grey eyes stared at him, unshaven, hair long, cross-shaped scar cutting his eyebrow and scything his temple.

She looked at him, and then over his shoulder, before returning to his face, smiling softly but tiredly. "Hello. You're Navi, I take it? Thank you for aiding my friend on his journey."

"It's… been an interesting experience."

Navi sounded horrified, devastated, totally cheated. _She doesn't remember you_. _She doesn't remember my name. _

There were rings under her eyes, and a deep sadness to her words. "I've never heard of this country Termina… but, if I ever manage to take my country back, I'd love to visit it."

"It's a lovely place. Or, well, it's meant to be." Link gave a half-hearted wink. "It depends on what you eat."

Zelda managed a chuckle, sitting down in a huff on the chair behind her. The bird on her wrist gave a warbling coo as it escaped her wrist and went for Sheik's head. "You have no idea how much I miss poppy-seed cakes. They were wonderful."

"Huh. I don't think I've ever had that before."

"You haven't lived, then." She smiled as she closed her eyes, slumping limply yet gracefully back into the chair. Link wondered if that was meant to be her thrown. "I'm sorry if the idea of 'Princess' has been a disappointment."

"Eh," Link shrugged, "I didn't know what to expect, so I had no real expectation. Just… you're so young."

"Mm," She opened her eyes and smiled sadly again. "I get that a lot."

… … … … …

Link rested his feet outside the tent as Sheik and Zelda conversed, most-likely wondering what to do with him. He stared at his boots, the steel-shod soles now beginning to rust. It was a little bit like his understanding of his life, Link thought, idly shifting his feet to stare at the crusted pockmarks emerging here and there.

He'd thought that his life was simple, clear, with effective purpose. But since Navi, and Sheik, and the Temples, and now Zelda, little pockmarks of unclear rust had festered over his thoughts. They were spreading now, covering the clear surface with foul confusion and making his steps useless, or ineffective.

Navi was quiet, blissfully quiet as he battled with the thought of Zelda being a _child_. By Din above, she was just a kid and she was fighting to steal the kingdom from his _father_. Didn't she realise what she was up against? There was no way that she could manage it, not with this motely group, not without a _miracle_.

That must be why they needed the Hero of Time; to rally the hesitant, to place a courageous leader at the head of an army, a promise of a warrior where now there was only a girl. Link sighed. Sheik would have filled that role perfectly, if only the Hylians would allow it.

He snapped out of his reverie, and his head swivelled to where their packs were. Where Sheik's pack was. Where the Ocarina of Time, and possibly the Master Sword itself was hidden. Could he steal them now? Even one would be enough. He could take either of them, run, and… take the soldiers here on a wild chase, pick them off from the trees, he did have his bow and arrows, and given enough time he could undo the knots strapping the blade to the sheath. And once the pesky followers are gone, he could lure Sheik or Zelda back to the fields, and take them back to the Castle.

Then he would have _won_.

_Since when is this about winning? Do you feel inadequate round Sheik or something? Does he make you feel small?_

Link dropped his head into his hands and moaned. "Navi, now is not the time."

_It's never the time, isn't it? It's never the time to abandon the man you insist on calling your father, the man related to the women who killed me._

"Oh so are we agreed on them being the killers and not him?"

_Does it matter what you or I think? Because you're not changing, you're not becoming who you were meant to be. A good person, helping these people. Look at them, look at how desperate they are. _

"That was the Gerudo before we got here. I helped them. I'm still helping them."

_They're prosperous now, I doubt they need it. Or want it, from the likes of you. _

"Yet you're encouraging me to help the Hylians. Oh, the irony."

Link strolled to Sheik's pack and exaggeratedly swung his leg, kicking the bag open. He paced to where the contents were strewn, and on toeing through the belongings he found that glint of pearly blue, and on picking it up, weighing it in his hand, wondering what exactly made it so special, he blew into the Ocarina.

… … … … …

Link opened his eyes and blearily winced. His body felt strangely limp as he registered the rock wall his back was pressed against, the grass under his hands. There was a headache pulsing softly, like a little heart, behind his forehead. When he touched it there was something cold there, like a jewel, and his hand was slapped away. "Don't take that off. It's for your own protection."

Link focused on the woman who'd batted his hand, though it was hard, considering the time of night. He noticed the odd clothing; she wasn't wearing a skirt, like all Hylian women did, but loose trousers that billowed in the breeze, lifting up to show strong boots. The shirt seemed stiff, like tough leather, and her arms were bare. The clouds were light in the sky, but the moon was but a slice of a withered glow so it took a while to realise that the woman was a Gerudo.

"Are you alright, kid?" she asked, even as a thrill of hostile panic coursed through him, "Do you remember who you are?"

"Even if I did I-" a wave of pain rolled through his head, making him grit his teeth. "What did you _put_ on me? It hurts!"

"The same thing _I'm_ wearing," she hissed, forcing his arms down to his sides, stopping him from trying to take the thing off. Link glared at her and saw the jewel pressed against her wide forehead, held there by a crown of bronze chains and leather, attached to the pony-tail clasped at the top of her head. "Trust me. It's to protect you from Ganondorf; just _don't take it off_!"

"Then why hasn't Navi-" Link stopped himself. He looked around. In the night she should've been obvious, but she was nowhere in sight and dread filled him from the pit of his stomach to the back of his throat. "Where's Navi?"

Even in the half-dark she looked confused. "What? Who?"

"My fairy? My friend! Where is she?_ Where's Navi_!?" Link tried to sound angry but all he felt was afraid, terribly afraid, because she had never ever left his side before, not since they'd bonded, not since they'd become one and the same. "What have you done to her!?"

"_Calm down_." Nabooru snapped, real steel in her voice, "I have to know that you're not one of Ganondorf's first, I have to know that you're not his minion. You won't get anything from me till you answer a few questions, understand? Nothing except a blade across your throat, so _now answer me_: What is your name?"

Link swallowed his panic, trying to look brave. "My name is Link and I'm stopping Ganondorf. He hurt my friends."

The Gerudo slowly nodded, and replied, "You can call me Lady. I'm the Second in Command of the Gerudo army, at least-"

"Did you take Navi from me?" Link interrupted, squirming in her grip. She was a lot stronger than she looked. Either that or he was weaker than he felt.

"No, but Ganondorf has her."

Literally, it felt like his heart had turned to rock. "How…?"

"What do you remember?"

"I… I… it was getting stormy, and, I had the last of the stones and I was coming back to the Castle… Zelda was running away on her horse with Impa and Ganondorf he… he hit me with magic…"

The Lady nodded. "He took your fairy then, thinking he could use it-"

"_Navi's not an IT_!"

"Sorry. Sorry, okay? I'm sorry. Just, be quiet, alright, we don't want to wake the villagers…" she looked around, and so did Link, and he realised that he recognized the house close by, the one with the shutters and the nailed windows. The Spider House. This must be Kakariko. "He took her as a means of getting Zelda back, thinking it pretty enough to distract her, thinking it'd make a good peace-offering. Navi's safe for now."

Link's heart began to beat again, slowly, grasping at the thin straw of an idea that Navi was safe, even without him to protect her. "Alright. Alright. So…?"

"I want Ganondorf down, as well." She spoke slowly, to make sure he understood. "He's terrorizing this place too much. I don't know what made him so violent this sudden, but he needs to see what he's becoming before it's too late. He needs to be stopped. You want him stopped, too, right?"

Link mutely nodded, taking her words in. He noticed an accent to her voice, making her vowels sharp, short, cutting, like a broken slash of glass. "You're going to help me?"

"No, kid, you're going to help _me_."

Link really didn't see the difference. He told her it'd be nice if she would let him go, and she cautiously did so. Link helped himself up, the stone ledge revealing itself to be the village well. He examined himself and a bit of his tunic felt a little scorched, but he wasn't injured, which was good. He'd lost all his equipment, though he couldn't understand why. He suspected that Ganondorf or his monsters had taken them off him, or even this Lady, whom he glowered at. "I need a sword. And a shield, but not too big. Hylians' ones are too big."

She gave him an odd sword-knife thing, sharpened on only one side. "It's a Sheikah weapon, it should do you nicely. And here." She gave him a round shield that was basically a very shallow cone, pointed at the middle with a smooth spike. "That's Gerudo gear, and I borrowed it off a friend; treat it well."

"Why is it shaped weird?"

"To protect us from the wind. The wind can kill you, where I come from."

Link decided that he would actively avoid going where the Gerudo lived. "So what am I looking for?"

"Something called the Eye of Truth."

Link frowned. "You're making me look for an eyeball?"

Lady visibly rolled her eyes. "No, it's just a glass that's called that, or something. It's meant to show you secrets and things."

"How is that meant to stop Ganondorf?"

"That's for me to know. It's apparently at the bottom of this well."

"I can't swim that _well_." Link grouched, pleased with himself for his sarcastic wit despite everything, "I can't hold my breath for long, either."

"It's fine. I drained the water."

Link wondered how she'd accomplished that but shrugged. "I'll go get it then."

"I'll go down the ladder first, you follow me."

He really stared at her oddly now, making the Gerudo growl. "What's with that face, moon-spit?"

"You big people… usually don't help."

She snorted. "Then you've been messing around with the most useless adults. You're not going anywhere out of my sight, kid."

"I told you my name was _Link_."

"Doesn't mean I have to call you that."

… … … … …

The ladder to the bottom had been ridiculously long. If Link had been allowed to go first he would have slid his way down, but it turned out that the ladder got slimier, and if he'd had his way he would've accelerated into a crashing, bone-breaking stop at the bottom. Lady had done well, being patient.

She handed him a tall lantern with three candles in it, all burning a little pathetically. He knew they would be extinguished as soon as he made a sharp move, but he supposed it was better than nothing. Navi had always lit the way. He desperately hoped she was alright as Lady looked around with her own oil lamp, trying to find some sort of entrance.

There was a hole in which he was made to crawl through first, and it was easy. It _was_ pretty long but it was nothing he wasn't used to; once he was out he immediately turned around, waiting for Lady to get through. She was sliding through like an eel, completely on her stomach; Link was sufficiently impressed. She struggled a little with her wide hips at the very end but she pulled herself out, grunting, "Oh, this is disgusting by- by the Sands."

Link wondered what had made her so horrified; you could hardly see in here, but he turned round, and terror pierced his soul.

It was a dungeon. Chains lined the walls _chaffing his wrists_ there were torture devices littered here and there_ hanging him with hunger_, crude crucifixes stained black, bars of cells glinting where the rust _his hands were covered in the stuff_ hadn't seeped in, redead crouched amongst the rubble and the screams sounded like Navi's _Navi was screaming in his head_-

Darkness clamped over his eyes and he was gagged. His urge to scream rocketed till he was held against a warm body, embraced by soft but muscled arms, and a gentle voice shushing him beside his ear. He was keening, whining, like a kicked dog, her arm pressed against his mouth as she cradling his head. Tears were rolling out of his eyes, wetting Lady's hand. "Link?"

His heart beat wildly. He could hear an echo of that scream ringing in his ears as she loosened her hold enough for him to reply. "Y-yeah?"

"Are you alright? I didn't know it would be this bad. You can wait back in the well, if you like."

"N-no. No. I'm fine. I…" he told himself to stop crying. Boys didn't cry. "I've seen worse."

She snorted quietly. "I doubt that."

Link gave a tremulous shrug. "A different kind of bad, but, still bad. I won't… I won't scream, I promise. I know they don't like being disturbed. Let's go ahead."

She nodded, slowly. "I'm going to take my hand away from your eyes, now, okay?"

He took a deep breath. "Yep."

She slowly let him go, and Link shivered as he slowly opened his eyes to see the dungeon of past atrocities. He had a feeling that there would be numerous levels.

He was right, and worse. There were floors that pretended to be there, inviting them to a leg-breaking free-fall. Lady had barely caught him as he'd dropped with a gasp, too surprised to even cry out. They marked the first one with chalk, and then always walked with a stick ahead of them like blind men. There were gibdo as well as the redead around every corner, oozing misery and agony.

"Do you know what the Sheikah say about those things?" Lady queried, giving a grim smile as she nocked an arrow and shot it in the head, which froze with a snap into a block of ice.

Link shivered. So much death in such a small spot. So very different from home. "What?"

"They're husks of emotion without a soul. Shells of…" she aimed, fired, and another, still hugging its knees, froze where it was. "Base desire for life. You know how you look for a friend when you're lonely, or when you're hungry you eat?"

"Yeah…?"

"They have no spark of life, no soul. So it comes for the living, eats our flesh, because all they want is our soul, our emotions, because they have none of it."

"But you can't _eat_ souls. You just… can't."

"They're dead. They only work on instinct. You think they know that?"

There were floormasters, wallmasters, skultullas and cursed bubbles. Link waved his new weapon just as Lady taught him, and though it was harder he found more precision to his blows. Maybe it was because Lady always softened them up for him; he never got the chance to draw the first blood because she was so much faster, and stronger, and Link had always thought himself pretty strong.

He decided that though she was Gerudo, she was awesome. She told him how to hold the sword properly whilst comparing the different grips from his usual weapon and the one he held at present. He was told to use the shield as a weapon too, the spike in the middle like a little lance. She wasn't quite an adult, more like a… like the boys he'd seen in Castletown, laughing at each other like idiots. Lady wasn't an idiot, that wasn't what he meant, it was… that age? How did Gerudo age? Was it the same as Hylians? As a Kokiri he really didn't know what to think. Anyway she wasn't an adult, but not a child, something in between, and she was pretty. Her nose intimidated him and she was skinny as a rake (her arm against his mouth had felt like a _stick_) but she was pretty and awesome. He thought Navi would've liked her.

He really hoped she was okay.

They found a pit with pillars that ringed the centre area, and they explored it separately, Lady looking for false walls, Link going for the thin pillars. Looking at them closely Link saw that they wavered a little, like half dead snakes dangling by their tales. Link looked up, but the darkness obscured the tops and when he looked down the pillars were firmly in the ground. He unsheathed his sword awkwardly, as the strap was wrapped around his hip, and hacked at the ground around the pillar, to see if some sort of puzzle would reveal itself.

Lady heard him scream.

She looked back at where she thought he was but the candles had extinguished themselves and cursing, she deliberately showered the walls with oil and lit it to see what was going on. Link was struggling against something holding him down, no, up; there were lots of them, grabbing his shoulder and head and neck, the pillars of flesh showing their true forms.

They were long arms, black-nailed hands topping each limb.

"I'm coming!" she shouted, holding out two sabres, but lost her balance as something enormous burst from the ground, making her cry out. The thing was huge, and the stench nearly knocked her out. It looked like a wine-glass placed upside-down, the thin neck reaching up into the blackness of the pit as the huge body waded through the grave-dirt.

Link cried out, trying to free himself, but even as the body of the thing loomed closer all he managed to do was tighten the hold those hands had on him and terror raced faster and faster in his blood as its long, long neck folded and revealed its face to him, too pale, eye-sockets empty, teeth like rocks.

Jaw like a nightmare.

Link screamed and screamed and screamed even as Lady kicked it and flung the long neck away, lopping the hands that held him off of him and rescued him from being eaten. Lady shoved him against the wall and shielded him with her body, holding out both her swords out for battle.

The large body was gone.

Link stopped screaming. He was shaking so hard he couldn't keep hold of the sword even with his two hands. He was muttering Navi's name over and over like a mantra. Lady was staring at the ground near them desperately, waiting for the thing to emerge.

Link stopped trying to hold his sword. He swallowed down his panic and wiped his face of his silent tears, knowing what he had to do. "It won't come out. It's blind."

"Huh?"

"It's… it had eyes on its palms. Here." He pointed at his own shaking palms, which he curled into fists even as he tried to explain without sounding too hysterical, "It can't see with its face. It… it's like a spider. Its hands are the webs. It'll only come out if it's holding something. If it's… if it's holding me."

Lady was looking at him as if he were completely mad. "We're not doing that."

"We have to." Link reasoned, as his shaking slowly eased, as he stared at the arms that were slowly unfurling, beginning to give up looking for them in the dark. "I think it's trying to get up all the way to Kakariko. It's… reaching for the people living there, to eat them for their souls. We have to stop it."

"No, we're getting out of here before it eats _us_."

"What do you think it's making it so powerful?" Link pointed out, looking at her gravely, in his element again, "It has to be the eye thing. It's magical, right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"It's that magic that makes it bigger. It has to be nearby. It'll come out when it has me. You go for its head and if it lets me go I'll attack too."

"Why do you _trust_ me?" Lady blurted out, crouching in front of him, really looking at him as if she could see into the depths of his heart, "You're Hylian, I'm Gerudo. Your parents must have told you about my people, must have told you that we were dirty thieves, ugly both inside and out."

"I'm not Hylian, I'm Kokiri. Besides, none of it's true, is it?" Link replied, smiling tremulously, "I heard them say stupid things about Gorons and Zoras too, and they were all wrong. Hylians are stupid. I don't know what they say about you, but you're awesome, Lady. I know you won't let it eat me."

She laughed, nodded, picked up the sword she'd lent him and made him hold it tightly. "Just stab it over and over, okay? This one isn't so good for slashing like a Hylian sword, or mine."

Link nodded, and ran out; he had a feeling that his courage would've deserted him if he hadn't. The dead hands grabbed him again and he struggled, dutifully, as it dug itself out from the earth and shuffled for him. Link kept his sword ready, holding it in a stabbing grip. He held it above his head as the hands held his torso. He was ready, even if Lady didn't come for him.

But she did. With a yodelling war cry she leapt at the base of the neck and stabbed both sabres into the body and pulled it out just as fast, making the thing writhe and moan. It let him go, and Link stabbed its face right between its eye-sockets. When it reared up the face split in two, the dead flesh ripping like wet paper. It moaned and struggled under Lady's attack but then it slumped, and the hands still standing all round crumpled against the ground.

Link's shaking legs wouldn't support him. He crumpled too.

"Link?" Lady's voice called, as she jogged towards him. "Hey, where are you?"

"Here…"

"Goddesses." She sped to his side, skidding to a stop, placing a hand urgently on his chest. "Are you alright? I wasn't too late, was I?"

"No, just… I'm surprised I didn't wet my pants."

"Oh. Okay." She sat on her haunches, and chuckled. "Right."

She chuckled a little more, snorting as she said, "You were worried you peed yourself?"

"I didn't though!"

"I know. I-I know, it's just…" she outright laughed, and she clamped a hand across her mouth to try to stop herself but she only escalated, and Link chuckled a little self-consciously and that made her laugh even more. Soon they were both guffawing in mirth, simply howling at the hilarity of simply being alive in the deathly well, and it was glorious, simply glorious, to be alive and laughing.

… … … … …

They had to cut up the body of the thing for a bit before the tool they were looking for rolled out of its rotting flesh.

"Bags not touching it," Link immediately said, making Lady growl.

After wiping it on her own trousers they looked through it and oohed and aahed at the invisible treasure-chests that materialised before their eyes, and the holes in the floors and walls were revealed. They found more passageways, and treasure, and with all the mystery unveiled the passageways seemed silly, and it was almost fun. When Lady demonstrated how walls really _could_ have ears Link laughed.

Then he remembered Navi.

"Huh? Link? What's wrong, you stopped laughing."

"I… I shouldn't be having fun. Navi's still out there, I need to rescue her."

"That doesn't mean you can't have fun."

"But she's been kidnapped! I… I have to find her! I thought I heard her scream, before, maybe it was a sign that she's hurt. Please… can we hurry…?"

Lady looked at him for what seemed like a long time, and her expression was… what was it? It was a mixture of things, and Link didn't know what to make of it.

She crouched down and he got a hug from her, a tight one, as she nodded beside his ear. "Alright. Look, I'm one of Ganondorf's attendants. I can sneak you into the castle. We'll work something out from there."

Link nodded, and the gem that was still strapped to his forehead shifted against his skin. "Can I take this off, now?"

"No. Definitely not. There's an advisor, well, advisors, really, they're twins… they mess with your head. This gem protects you from it."

Link nodded, then, and they moved on. They crawled through the hole, started the long arduous climb up the ladder. Lady went first, setting a reasonable pace. After what seemed like hours she cautiously peered over the top, where the dawn was colouring the sky indigo. She peered down and nodded, a smile in her voice. "It's alright, I think. We'll be out in a bit."

Link nodded and said, "Okay," and waited till she was out in the open before pulling himself up too.

He gave a startled cry as she vaulted right back in, acrobatically grabbing the side of the ladder, swinging down and around him, pressing him against the bars with her body. Her hiss was urgent. "Quiet."

His heart hammered as he nodded obedience, gripping the bars tightly. The light up there was still too shallow to reach them, so when he felt a presence up there, looking down, there was no way they could've seen them. Unless they threw some light-source down…

They didn't. They walked away, and the shuddering sigh Lady let out was terrified. "Who were they?"

"You don't want to know, Link, trust me."

"Are they gone?"

"I doubt it." Lady looked up, biting her upper lip, then cursed. "Stay here. I'll be back as soon as I can, just… try not to hate me."

Lady scrambled up like lightning in the flesh before he could reply, slipping over the lip of the well, a snake disappearing into the dawn. Link watched the skies change colour, saw clouds pass by, felt hunger gnaw at his stomach. After all the excitement in the well he was getting sleepy, too. It must have been over an hour when Lady came back, a body slumped over her shoulders.

"Go back down again. As fast as you can."

Link slid down, occasionally stopping to wipe the grime off his hands and to avoid sliding to a free-falling death. Lady didn't have the liberty of doing that with the body she had on her shoulders, which grunted, sometimes. After going down most of the way down the body, the Hylian man, began to struggle. "What the…!"

Lady cursed. She lit her lantern and threw it down, measuring the distance to the bottom, and deeming it safe she threw the Hylian down too. Link thought he heard a snapping of his bones as the man howled at the landing.

Link looked at him, then at her, and shaking in utter horrified confusion. "What are you _doing_?"

"Protecting us as much as I can." She leapt down, and proceeded to beat him up. She kicked him in the gut, in the head, she let him hit _her_, which made no sense since Link knew she was better than that, better than this Hylian man. Then she cut him in the throat with the knife she'd lent him and Link had to look away.

She climbed back to where Link was, gasping, and the boy didn't know whether to trust her anymore. "Try not to hate me. But try to remember me."

"What are you-"

Link knew no more, because Lady ripped the jewel off of his forehead.

… … … … …

Link _remembered this._

He'd woken up to being carried up a ladder across a Gerudo woman's shoulder. He remembered asking where they were, and she'd told him Kakariko, and that he'd been kidnapped and that she was taking him home. Link had blankly wondered at that, and wondered whether he even had a home, but then when they'd escaped the well, the Gerudo gasping from her aching muscles, he'd seen a familiar cape and the word escaped him before he could even think about it… "Father?"

Ganondorf turned, looking surprised, and Link's stomach had plummeted and he'd knelt, stammering an apology and calling him sir, lord, master, majesty, anything to make him forget his mistake.

The King had looked at him, then at the Gerudo who'd rescued him from the well, and nodded. "Your Captain found you missing."

The Gerudo had nodded, straightening up as she did so. Link had looked at her, eyes widening at the bruises all over, one blooming on her cheek, a thin river of blood seeping from it. "I was on sentry duty and I saw the boy leave the castle with a stranger. He seemed distressed so I followed."

"The assailant?"

"Dead. He was keeping the boy in the well. As you can see," she knelt, and pulled back a bit of Link's shirt, revealing bruises. He hadn't had a clue how he'd gotten them. "He was badly treated."

"Hmm." Ganondorf had knelt too, and to Link's surprise he was petted on the head. "You are one strong man, aren't you."

"Um…" Link blushed and nodded. He was a strong boy. "Thank you."

The Desert King looked up, and gravely looked at the woman who'd saved him. "He will need a guardian from now on. Will you volunteer for the job?"

"I'd be honoured, your Majesty," the Gerudo who'd saved him replied, and Ganondorf had smiled.

"Good work, Nabooru."

Link dropped the Ocarina and staggered away, and Navi laughed hysterically in his head, making his ears ring. This confirmed his sick suspicions about the crystals in the temples.

There _were _traitors among the Gerudo. And of course one of them had to be Nabooru.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh yeeeeaaaaah, hipster Nabooru thinks Ganondorf is too mainstream, taking over the Hylian oppressors!<strong>

**And I just can't believe I wrote that. (-_-)**

**Anyway, review replies!**

**_Guest: _Thanks, Guest!**

_**Herooftimes: **_**Oh, they never stopped. Twin Rova just kept doing the mind-altering to make Link the perfect son, to make sure their spell didn't break. As for the Master Sword being sentient or not, I'd say yes, the Master Sword is fairly sentient. Not to the point of Fi, or Once upon a Fairytale, but yeah. You'll see. XD **

_**Havoc's-Tears: **_**Yeah, the whole flashback thing with Ganondorf was wierd as hell to write. How are you so damn _nice_, Ganondorf? Anyway, yes, this is before Link got so broekn and twisted up and evil. And trust me, there will be plenty of flashback from here on in, though I don't know how insightful they might be. I think Sheik wouldn't have let him see Zelda so soon either, but considering there're only two temples left (not including Ganon) and the camp was close to Lake Hylia... it was convenient. :P I hope the chapter was worth the wait!**

**_darkwolflink1: _****Well I'm glad you enjoyed the family interaction. :) It really was fun to write. As for Sheik wondering whether Link is the Hero of Time, he knows only one way to know; to check with Zelda. and you know how well THAT went, lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and I look forward to seeing you in the review pages again! XD**

_**Kelleboi**_**: Oh wow! To think I did the desert description justice! That's great, thank you so very much! As for original works, I don't have anything in particular, but I DO want to be an author. If I ever get a chance I'll let you guys be the first to know. XD Thanks again!**

_**Superninjax**_**: HERE IT IS! XD**

_**x0chu0x: **_**I know, Ganondorf being likeable is so wiierrrd. But it had to be done! And thanks for the praise, as usual, I hope you continue liking the story. **

_**CatsGotTongue: **_**I hope the interaction between Zelda and Link was worth the wait of update! I give you another flashback, though there is an unfortunate lack of Alita. As for the Shadow, considering it looked like Link it probably would have been extremely suspicious for Sheik, lol. I hope you enjoyed and review!**

_**pikachucat: **_**Thank you!**

_**daimee: **_** I guess this chapter sort of confirms Sheik's trust of Link, though it is a little misguided, haha. I think the probalem with Sheik is that he likes Link too much to not trust him anymore, even if he is still as suspicious as he has always been. You probably know already that Sheik's going to regret it. :P **


	11. Chapter 11

**So yeeeeaaah, chapter 11. You know what I should be doing right now? I should be doing an assignment. And an essay. And getting ready to go to uni. And getting the muffins packed up for the bakesale. There is so much else I should be doing right now, but you know what? Screw you world, screw you. **

**I'm updating and you're going to LIKE IT.**

**As for this chapter, I don't know whether to call it heartwarming or depressing or just, kinda, sad. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Chapter<strong>_

"Navi?"

"Oh, oh-um," Link blushed as he turned around, startled by Sheik's sudden suspicious call, "Sorry, I, um, was pacing when I kicked your pack, and I saw the Ocarina and I got curious. I'm sorry."

Sheik (still wearing the Gerard disguise, or showing his true form as Gerard, or something,) looked at how widely his things had been strewn and scowled. "You must have a weird pace, then."

"Eh," Link hastily picked up the Ocarina to give it back to the (supposedly) red-eyed youth, looking contrite. "Well, anyway, how was the chat with Zelda? I mean, the Princess?"

Gerard shrugged, pocketing the Ocarina, "Sending in the report, the progress, things like that."

"What about the whole… you know, seeing the Hero of Time, thing? Did you tell her about that?"

"I did, but… she's losing hope on finding him." Gerard sighed, scratching his head. "Honestly, so am I."

"Well, he _has_ been pretty unreliable so far," Link pointed out, making him shrug again. "And I still think you could easily replace the bugger."

Gerard (Link still had a feeling that this one had to be the disguise, and Sheik was real) gave him a look, but it was topped with an amused huff. "You really are a strange one."

"I'm aware," Link grinned, a little dispassionately. "So are we taking a few days' break? Or will we be going straight back?"

"We'll spend the night here. Then we're leaving."

… … … … …

Dining with Zelda was an experience that Link would forever describe as awkward.

Link had felt the knife strapped to his leg through each and every minute of the meal, wondering all the time whether he should stab her to death right then and there. The interesting part of those musings was that Navi almost didn't seem to know whether to discourage or urge him to do it; Zelda didn't remember him, yet if he _did_ kill her Ganondorf's hold on him (as far as she was concerned) would be irreversible. Navi settled for making him wait, to think on what would be better, telling him to make the _right decision_.

So he waited. Waited for the right moment to kill her, take the Sword and Ocarina and run, but there was never the golden opportunity he sought for. They ended up leaving without incident.

"Be careful," Zelda had told them both, seeing them off, but Link had the feeling it was more for the benefit of the red-eyed youth. Sheik was _Sheik_, then, and he had knelt and kissed the young Princess's knuckles, promising to be back as soon as he could.

Link had been very tempted to ruin the moment with a dopey '_D'AAAAWWW,', _but had decided against it. Sheik would have murdered him.

… … … … …

Link had a lot to think about as he and Sheik travelled back to Hyrule Fields.

There definitely were traitors in the Gerudo. Most-likely a fair number of them conspiring together, most likely a person in each garrison, assigned to guard the Temples. The Water Temple and Forest Temple really got to him, though. How did they get in there? For one, hardly if any Gerudo could swim so even if they'd managed to get a Zora tunic it would've been a very, very difficult mission to make that place passable. More importantly, the Forest Temple and its surroundings were a _death trap. _How could anyone have reached it? How could anyone have gotten _out_?

_I know some people who could've done it._ _And I think you know too._

"It couldn't have been Nabooru. She's too busy."

_She's risen in the ranks since that day she 'rescued' you. She was just a sentry then, but now? She really _is_ the Second in Command. If she wanted to she could move around for days without questioning where she is. You _know_ that._

Link was thankful that it was his turn to watch out for enemies that night, or else Sheik would have been listening to every word he was saying. "That's now. Those things have been in there for years."

_Oh, I wasn't talking about her placing the crystals there. I was talking about how rising up the ranks would've helped her see everybody in their positions, the dissatisfaction, the anger. She'd know most if not everybody in the army, and she would've been able to handpick her own followers. She's in the best position for a coup as it is._

Link shivered. "She wouldn't dare. Would she?"

_I don't know. I thought you knew her best?_

He didn't know anymore. Nabooru had been at his side since that day in the well, looking after him, helping him train, and in retrospect, trying to break him out of his own head. She'd often asked him questions that at the time had confused him. Did he like the monsters roaming all around him? Did he ever think himself more Hylian, or Gerudo? Link had never really noticed the monsters as a child, since they seemed… second nature, though now he wondered why. As for the other, he had never really thought himself Hylian, but it was quite obvious that he wasn't really Gerudo either…

She had been worthy of respect, and he had actually been sad to have left her to go to the desert.

"Judging by the memory she was working against him from the beginning. She'd do it."

_So, that leaves us with working out who's with her, right?_

"Don't sound so delighted, Navi."

_Oh but this is so much fun. I can't _wait_ to see who's with her; you might be even joining them. _

"What happened to your original wish for me?" Link cocked an eyebrow, thinking of Zelda.

_That little chit can go to hell. _Navi spat with enough venom to kill a desert boar, _She forgot us. She doesn't remember who you were, she doesn't remember _my name_. She had no witches tearing at her mind but still she managed to forget us after all we did for her!_

Link couldn't help but smirk. "Finally something we agree on."

_Now don't you think you're off the hook, my little misguided murderer, because now from that memory we _know_ that you had friends that you were cut off from, Zoras and Gorons, the Kokiri that you loved and cared about. From the very _beginning_ your King is a man that encourages betrayal from his very own soldiers. Once you're on that road you'll forever be followed by that legacy. _

"I'm already on that road, Navi. I'm his son."

_By force!_

"No, by choice. I thought he was my father, because I'd hoped he was. He accepted me, and he showed me what he's capable of, and I accepted him for it. I'm moulded in his shape. I am his son. And I would do anything for him."

_Even after what he did to you? Even after what he did to _me_?_

"We agreed that it was the witches, didn't we? I promise we'll get them. We _will_ have our revenge."

…_Did you think those words would get rid of me?_

A shiver crawled up his spine. "I don't… I don't even know what you're talking about."

_Of course_, she purred, _of course you don't want me with you, when, like you said, all I do is dominate your mind. It must be so, very, very, annoying. Isn't that how you see me? Annoying? A bother?_

Link didn't like where this conversation was going. "Navi, I didn't mean that…"

_You want me to leave you alone, don't you. You want me to 'depart', to rest in peace, to _disappear, _don't you? Shall I? Should I?_

"No!" Link desperately strangled out, his fingers digging desperately into the ground, "No, please don't. Don't leave me. I remember you. I remember how you comforted me, I remember how you thought the best of me, I…" he took a deep breath and buried his face in his hands. "I… I know you're looking out for me. I know you're thinking what's best for me, but what can I do? I have no _proof_. I don't… I don't want to be lonely, Navi. Please."

_Why would you ever be lonely? You have me, don't you?_

"I know I have you, but… you know what I've done under those witches' control. I'll never be accepted into… well… anywhere. If I betray father… who will I have left to me, except you? I can't… accept that what Father did to me can be that bad. I have to remember to be sure; I know you can't seem to accept that but I need you to, alright? I _know_ the Twins did what they did, so I'll deal with that once we get home. Does that sound fair to you…?"

_What about what Ganondorf has done to this land? What about what Ganondorf has done to your friends, to the reputation of the Gerudo, since you seem to care about it so much_.

She sounded only spiteful and derisive, but it got Link thinking. "What if… I work with everyone? As in, literally, _everyone_."

_You're a delirious, mad boy. Why do you even try to think?_

Link closed his mouth; what he was thinking almost seemed too big to say it out loud. The concept was massive in itself for the likes of him, a mere soldier, a swordsman. He'd have to dwell on it. He sorted it away for later, and smiling apologetically at Navi, outwardly agreeing with her he asked Navi what living with the Kokiri had been like. She told him, imperious and proud.

… … … … …

They reached the fields, and Link wished he could've split from Sheik and found himself something to ride. Another Wolfos under the power of the skull's mask would have been a beauty.

_Brute. You sick brute_.

Link winced at Navi's voice and pleaded with her to be quiet. He couldn't understand why but she was definitely getting worse. He hadn't noticed it at first, but slowly but surely her tone was more spiteful, her kind words rung false. He was almost afraid of thinking such things; she seemed to react against the slightest thing, the smallest thought.

"I just wanted a ride." He murmured in defence, the reply like a scalding whiplash.

_Why not ask for one of Ganondorf's finest horses then? I'm sure the Good King would be happy to dispense such precious resources for his son. Or, do you think, that as his puppet, you're over-reaching yourself? Be careful, dear, you don't want your mind wiped again._

He just wanted to press his hands to his ears, but of course, that was like caging her in, wasn't it? Like a bottle, corked closed.

Her words like nails jangling in his brain.

… … … … …

"Navi?"

Link gasped awake, sweat beading his forehead, slicking his back. "W-what?"

"You were having a nightmare." Sheik told him, handing him a skin of water. Link took it gratefully, hand shaking. "You seemed ready to scream."

"I blame nearly drowning," Link muttered too light-heartedly, taking a swig, really wishing it was something stronger. He coughed when Navi cackled at him, calling him derisively a big man for wanting it, and he was ready to yell at her to shut up, but Sheik's presence clamped his mouth shut.

Sheik gave him a concerned eye, frowning. "When we reach Kakariko, we'll rest for a night, properly."

"Fair enough," Link coughed, shuddering at the thought of dawn. The sky would be blue, soon. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep a wink now, do you want to head out already?"

The young man nodded in reply, and together they packed their things and headed out.

… … … … …

Kakariko was burning.

They'd been running as soon as they'd seen the smoke, a small wisp of grey string in the sky that grew darker, more savage, as it heralded the flames spreading through the village. When they burst through the gates they were gasping, watching people trying to get water to the burning houses, children collected at the square, away from the flames, though they screamed for their parents and their siblings.

Link saw a body that looked suspiciously like a redead's. On a roof was a gibdo, its bandages scorched, moaning loudly with a wide mouth and Link shot it down reflexively, without thinking, without even realising it. He thought of the memory with Nabooru, in the bottom of the Well. He really thought about that creature. There was no way, no way that puny little Lens had given that many-handed monster the power to become _that_ powerful. Something must be down there, fuelling it still, or it had already been ridiculously strong and it had been healing all this time, _biding_ its time.

Link rushed forward, heading straight for the well. Somehow, Sheik seemed to think of something similar for he had moved _first_, and Link was glad for it or else Sheik would've found his movements very, very suspicious.

The ground beneath the well was shaking. Link imagined hands digging from below, and he shuddered to a stop, scared.

_There. There it is. You're showing your true, spineless self, aren't you?_

"Stop it!"

Sheik spun round at Link's burst of a shout, and hollered back over the roar of the fire, "_What_?"

Link cursed at his companion and shouted, "Can't you see the ground shaking? Something's-"

Something _did_ burst out of the well, a cloud of shadows and ash and _deadness_, stinking of rot and disease. Link gagged as the wind changed, sending the stench his way as the cloud noticed Sheik and grabbed him, tossed him, slamming him against the ground at Link's feet.

Link prepared to unsheathe his sword. The cloud rushed him. He stopped. If he fell unconscious with the sword in his hand, and if Sheik woke up first, he would be caught for who he was. He'd be killed in his sleep, he was sure of it.

Link prepared his body for the pummelling of his life, and it got exactly that.

… … … … …

When he woke up it was raining. It was only starting to really pour, so he hoped that he'd been out only for a few minutes. Sheik was slapping his cheek gently. Link groaned at the biting cold, shuddering. He was glad he hadn't pulled his sword out. "Ow."

"I take it that it did you some damage."

"Isn't my face a huge swollen bruise, or something?"

"No. I think that was its limited form, just released from its seal. It couldn't construct a physical body, so it probably just passed through us. I should've thought of it sooner."

"Um… what?"

"Can you stand?"

Link tested his strength, wincing as one arm refused to move for a moment, gladly noting it was only due to bad circulation caused by the pose he'd collapsed in. Massaging it, he stood up, telling Sheik to lead the way. "I take it," Link said, mirroring Sheik's ironic tone, "That you know where it went? Or what it _is_?"

Sheik showed a hint of a smile before leading the way, past the well, deeper into the village. Link curiously looked around at the suddenly silent area. "Aren't we… helping these guys out?"

"They can take care of themselves. Out of all the people of Hyrule, I like to think the citizens of Kakariko as the toughest."

"Why?"

"Eh, it's a personal thing," Sheik said, waving his hand in dismissal. "Anyway, they've evacuated themselves out of the village, camping out near Zora's river. Or what's left of it."

"Huh. So where are we going?"

"Graveyard."

Link felt a shiver crawl down his spine. Navi chuckled. "Why?"

"That's where the next Temple is," Sheik explained, hurrying the Hylian into a jog for the headstones, "And that creature from the Well is called Bongo Bongo, a demon that once was mortal, or so they say. Impa, Zelda's nursemaid, trapped it in there before Ganondorf took over."

They passed through the gates leading to the graveyard, hurrying into Dampe's old home to dump their belongings. Link was cold, bitingly cold. Being used to desert climates, his body screamed for warmth. "There was a demon in that well, and people drank water from it or something? That's _sick_."

_Not as sick as you, my boy,_ Navi purred, making him visibly shiver. _You with a black core dripping out evil everywhere. Infecting those around you with lies and deceit. _

"The Well has been drained for more than six years," Sheik explained as he eyed Link, though the Hylian couldn't tell whether the flinch at Navi's words had been noticed or not. "Are you alright?"

Clearly it _had_ been noticed. Either that, or he was looking terrible in general. "I'll manage."

It was an obvious evasion, but Sheik nodded and continued to lead the way. "Bong Bongo doesn't have enough power to manifest its true form out here, especially in the rain. It needs to regroup, reform itself. It'll be in the Shadow Temple."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait just one damned second. How and why is there a Temple in a _graveyard_?"

"The graveyard came later, if that's what concerns you."

"That still doesn't make sense!" Link spat, heaving, his heart racing for no reason. He watched Sheik climb up a series of muddy steps behind an impressive tombstone, before allowing himself to be helped up them. "Why are bodies allowed to be buried on Sacred Ground?"

"It's its domain." Sheik grunted, pulling him up, making him climb over the fence. In front of them was a Gossip Stone, and an entrance to a cave. "Forest, Fire, Water, Light, Shadow, Spirit. Light is life, forest is birth, fire is passion and water is healing. Shadow is death."

Link trembled. "_What_?"

"We all have our domain, Navi. The Sheikah has seen a lot of war; it was only fit that grief and death were given to us."

"But then why would Bongo Bongo _go_ in there?" Link demanded, pointing at the passageway that led into the cliff, deep, his voice echoing even from out here. He shuddered. There was no light there, nothing to show there was any hope of survival. "Wouldn't it be just jinxing itself?"

"Quite the opposite, actually," Sheik shrugged grimly, checking his knives and needles before sheathing them, satisfied with their condition, "Bongo would probably use the power in the Temple to fuel itself. Its ghostly form will return to flesh inside, and it'll probably come back out to wreak havoc once it's completely recovered. We need to stop it before it does that."

Link's core froze with fear. A ghost returning to its true form? To flesh? He thought of Navi, her voice in his head, her presence always behind him, taunting him, haunting him. What if she manifested? What if she glowed in front of his very eyes, her body mangled, eyes accusing? Worse, if Sheik saw her, or didn't see her, if she betrayed him like he had betrayed her in death…

He would go mad. There would be no going back.

"I'm not entering the House of the Dead!" Link spat, defiance rushing in his very blood, "_Never_!"

"What is it that you fear?" Sheik demanded, throwing his hands up in utter exasperation, "They're _dead_! They're not about to stand up and _eat_ you!"

Link laughed hysterically as he pointed at the Sheikah. "You clearly haven't been to Castletown!"

"I'm talking about _your_ dead!"

The Hylian froze, feeling the blood draining from his face. "What?"

"You lost someone. I can taste your grief like a poisonous fog, I can hear the teeth of your guilt gnawing on your bones, and I can feel the marks left by your chains of self-hatred under my very _feet_! It hurts to stand next to you, to even look you in the eyes! What could've possibly happened to warrant this much _pain_?"

"Shut up," Link ground out, barring his teeth, "You, shut up, _right now_."

"No. You scare me. I don't understand how you can continue acting as you do when you so clearly have something tearing at your heart with each and every step. I'm not entering that temple with you till I know you won't go round hurting yourself, or more importantly _me_."

"I have no _reason_ to hurt you!"

_Don't you?_

Sheik visibly winced. "It's haunting you _now_ whatever it is."

"No. It's not. She's not. She helps me, she always has."

_Of course I do. I'm your conscience. I'm your everything. Just as you were everything to me. You won't tell him about me, will you, Link? He'll just think you're mad. Completely insane. _

"_Who is she?_"

"That's none of your business!" Link hollered, unsheathing his sword and pointing it straight at Sheik's blood-stained eyes, "You leave her out of this."

"Why?" Sheik countered dangerously low, slipping two knives into his hands, "When it's clearly hurting you inside and out."

"She's never hurt me before. Why should she be hurting-"

"There. You just lied." Link swallowed dryly as Sheik circled him, warily drawing closer. "You're constantly in pain. Because of her, whoever she is."

"She never means to. And if she does hurt me-"

_Do I? Do I really?_

"_I deserve it_!" Link hollered, desperately assuring himself and her, the hold on his sword tightening. "I deserve whatever she tells me, whatever she says. She remembers more than I do!"

"What does she remember, Navi?"

"It doesn't concern you. Just, just, _leave me alone_!"

"Why do you deserve to be punished? Tell me why!"

_Yes, you know what? Tell him. Tell him everything. Tell him what you are, what you did. What Ganondorf has turned you into, what _you _have turned _yourself_ into! Tell him that you FORGOT MY DEATH._

"No! Please, _leave me alone_!"

_**TELL HIM LINK!**_

"I… I…" Link's eyes were bleeding tears, his mouth dripping blood as he gritted his teeth wrong and cut the inside of his mouth. He could do nothing as Sheik raced up to him, dodged his sword, and held his head between bandaged hands.

Link's world grew black.

It was terrifyingly familiar, this cold, cold dark. He screamed and fought and ran in it, ran and ran, trying to find the light to get out of this place. He saw a flicker of blue. Link stopped, and stared at it.

She was a lot simpler than he had pictured in his mind. He'd thought she'd have a small body, with freakishly big but beautiful beetle eyes staring at him balefully from a smooth triangular face, a body as long and elegant as a dragonfly's and twig-like limbs, delicate, fragile. But she was just a ball of light with wings like a moth's, or a cicada's, branching out from the ethereal centre.

Link's whole core clenched in guilt. "I didn't even remember your appearance properly."

Navi shrugged, her wings fluttering in a familiar bob. "It's been seven years. It couldn't be helped."

He was crying like a child. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, s-s-sorry…"

"Oh hush, Link, hush now…" She soothed, spinning round his shoulders, haloing his head and dusting him in fairy-lights as he fell to his knees and cried.

"I f-forgot you, I-I… I didn't… I haven't even mourned you yet, I, I, Gods Navi, I'm a monster, I'm a monster…"

"Hush my love, you're not. You're helping a hero. I'm sure that makes you one too. Hey, come on, now, won't you stop crying? For me?"

Link hiccupped but nodded, rubbing his face vigorously across his arm. "N-Navi… Will you, will you ever forgive me?"

"There's nothing to be forgiven for, truly. Listen. Listen to me: it was beyond your control. You didn't willingly forget."

"But I hadn't even mourned you…"

"You're doing it now, aren't you?"

"But-"

She shushed him again, brushing a wingtip against his temple. "You wanted to be with me again, right? You wanted me near you, and you didn't want me dead. And I'm really grateful for that, but you have to let me go now. Can you do that for me? Can you let me go?"

Link had to hold his breath before letting it out in a gasp, holding back the tears a while longer. "I don't want to let you go yet."

"You're grown up, now. You don't need me anymore."

"That's not true!" A single tear escaped the barricade of his eyelids, screwed shut tight in denial. "Please not yet…"

"I wish I could stay too."

"Navi…"

"Promise me something. Don't feed your guilt. Don't build your self-hatred. Let it go, and me with it."

"No! I'm not forgetting you again!"

"I don't want you to remember me that way, Link." Navi's voice was wobbling now, barely a whimper. "I don't want you using my voice to destroy your own mind."

Link flinched at that. "But what can I do…?"

"Mourn me. Remember me. But beyond that, it's up to you. You've always known what was right."

"But-"

"Thank you, Link. I loved you. I still love you. And I will love you always."

She faded away and Link stumbled forward to catch the last of her light, but he was holding onto a solid body instead and he was crying like a child again, sobbing against a blue shoulder as deceptively strong arms held his own shoulders and back, soothing him and shushing him while he finally, finally, mourned the death of his soul mate.

… … … … …

"Navi isn't your real name, is it."

Link snorted as he rubbed his swollen eyes, a smirk playing at his lips. "Yeah, but I bet you already knew that."

"I suspected as much, yes." Sheik replied, handing him a flask of water, which Link happily sipped at. They were resting at the very entrance of the Shadow Temple, their backs pressed against the wall that held the entrance's maw. "Why did you take her name as yours?"

"Because I can't bandy out my own," Link shrugged with honesty, "For reasons I can't share."

He shrugged in reply. "Fair enough."

"That's it?" Link laughed, "You're just going to let it go?"

"I understand the need to keep secrets, and I now know why you're like, well, this. A nutcase."

Link snorted. "Says the guy who's shouldering a country's destiny on their shoulder."

"That would be Princess Zelda, not me," Sheik corrected primly, shaking his head. He un-stoppered his own flask, and took a gulp of water. "You have no idea how hard she works to correct her so-called mistake."

The Hylian's ears pricked. "Huh? Mistake?"

Sheik hesitated, but said quietly, "She figured Ganondorf would take over. She took steps to see that it never happened, but exacerbated the situation. She was ten."

"Damn." Link sipped his water again, and wished it was rum or wine or something stronger. He ached for his fairy. "That's a pretty solid mistake."

"She was a child, Na… should I continue calling you Navi?"

"That would be best. Anyway, you were saying?"

Sheik sighed. "She was a child, Navi. I doubt she would have succeeded, or done anything to make things any worse than this."

"Mm." Link shrugged at that, thinking he was probably right. Ganondorf would have taken over regardless; the need for water and food in the desert had, at the time, been desperate. The population had dwindled, the young dying without proper nutrition, leaving the old despairing. The Hylian population had suffered, yes, but their pains were nothing compared to him and his people. He bit his lip, and sighed. "Shall we go into the Temple?"

"Are you ready to?"

"Ready as I will ever be," Link shrugged, sighing, rubbing his head. He thought of the war, how he and Ganondorf were trying to end it, and how Zelda and Sheik were trying to stop it. How they were painting the other as evil, or in the wrong; how they planned to capture or banish the other because one had wanted what the other had in abundance. First it was the Gerudo's need for prosperity. Now it was the Hylians' need for the old times, or peace, or something. It was hard to tell what they wanted, to be honest, but if the need was great enough they would fight for it for the rest of their lives.

As they stood and faced the entrance of the place Link wondered if, when he helped his father capture Zelda and Sheik, once he gained all of their trust he could get them in the same room, civilly, and _talk_. Maybe they could work something out, before another war erupted, before more blood was shed.

Before his sisters could be thrown into the fight. If he did things right, he might be a real Hero.

_That would be wonderful, wouldn't it?_

Link gave a shuddering sigh of relief, and bowed his head in gratitude to the fairy that'd been there, at his back, since the very beginning.

* * *

><p><strong>The Shadow Temple is actually fairly detailed, compared to the other temples. In fact, you even get the proper boss fight, lol. <strong>

**So yeah, no more screaming scary Navi in his head, which is a bit of a relief because by this time I was like, dude, am I writing you right?**

**Anyway, REVIEW REPLIES. **

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: It WOULD be pretty awesome to get published in anyway shape or form, eh. XD I just might do an original work, you never know. As for the question about Twin Rova's influence over Link, you'll find out in the next chapter! XD Navi just didn't have anything to criticize him for, since he was being harmless at the time and though he WAS sick and tired of what she was saying he felt like he had to take it because it was his punishment for forgetting her; he thought he owed her at least that. Anyway, thank you so much for keepin up with this fic, I hop you liked this chapter too. **

_**SuperninjaX**_**: When Link blew on his ocarina he remembered how, a few weeks after Zelda escaped from Ganondorf, that he and Nabooru went in the well. He was wearing a gerudo crystal during the trip, which blocked the Twins' mindspell. But when Nabooru ripped it off of him the spell took hold, so the time in the well (when he had free will) was blanketed under the spell. So, no, he wasn't remembering how he'd betrayed Ganondorf, he was remembering how Nabooru did, using him. lol. Thanks for asking! **

_**daimee**_**: I like writing Link's backstory as well, so I'm glad you enjoy it. XD When I wrote Zelda and Link's meeting, I was like, hmm, I don't know what to do. Awkward. So I went with that vibe. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

_**darkwolflink1**_**: Link was so close! Too bad Sheik came straight after and caught him with the Ocarina, eh? Thanks for all the reviews you've given me so far! I hope you enjoy the next one too. **

_**Guest (who was actually CatsGotTongue)**_**: Writing the scene under the Well was just so much fun, it turned out a lot longer than I expected. Which I suppose is a good thing? I really hope I can get in as much Nabooru as I can in later chapters, eh, I really really like her. I hope the Kakariko bit was up to your expectations. See you again soon!**

_**madlink007: **_**Thank you! Glad you like the story. :) As for the back of Link's hand, they're pretty much constantly covered so Link and Sheik have so far not taken notice of its presence. Oh and Ganondorf definitely has the Triforce of Power, he just doesn't know where the piece of Courage is. I can't wait till he finds out! **

_**Guest:**_** Yeah the Well was creepy as all hell when I played it too, hence why I wanted to write about it so much. I'm glad you're enjoying the story thus far, and I hope you continue to do so. **

**I may not update for a while, considering I have exams in like, TWO WEEKS. **

**Please pray for me. (T.T)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Some anonymous Guests have been very kind, and with the two reviews I got up to ONE HUNDRED REVIEWS! WOOOOT!**

**So yeah, here's a chapter for you all, though I adimt there's not much plot advancement and just a hell of a lot of the boss-fight. Yay?**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>The Next Chapter<span>_**

The Shadow Temple was darker than the memories of the Well, in every sense of the word.

The ghosts down that chimney of water had lurked there out of their own spite, their own hatred and pain. But here ghosts were trapped by servitude, cursed there to obediently toil under the powers of the Sheikah: the criminals, vagrants, deviants and traitors. They were the vicious forces behind the traps and fail-safes against bandits and looters, determined to add more souls to their ranks, for misery truly adored company.

No wonder Bongo Bongo had come there to replenish its strength.

It was linear, he noted, as they traversed the Temple, with no real twisting passageways that led into adjoining rooms, except to find keys to keep going through the Temple. It twisted down, down, further down, as if they were crawling through a crypt. Which, Link supposed, was probably accurate. He saw signs of the Gerudo rebels here too; the crystals and blocks, and, now that he properly looked at the padlocks clasping the treasure chests shut, they were made of Gerudo silver. They would have used the Lens to get through safely, a notion which frustrated Link to no end. Everything here were ghosts given form; even most of the monsters. He had to rely on Sheik's birth-right, his abnormal sense of sight, to beat anything.

He mostly solved the puzzles in and around the place, as Sheik watched his back. He found them almost too easy; the Gerudo mind was an open book to him.

… … … … …

They stared at the hole in the floor and Link grinned uneasily at Sheik. After the ride of the ferry with those two stalfos… well, who wouldn't be wary? Link looked up and graciously stepped back. "Heroes take the lead, don't they?"

Sheik snorted, smirk evident in his tone. "Age before beauty."

"In that case, Ladies first."

"_What_?"

"That Gerard disguise, as far as I'm concerned, is a disguise, and you're you. Sheik. Since I consider you androgynous, and I link beauty with the opposite sex, you're a lady, so ladies first."

Sheik glared at him. Link laughed. "Ooh, was I right? Are you a girl?"

"You're being ridiculous."

"I just really, really don't want to go down that hole first.' Was Link's brutally honest reply. "How about together? On three?"

Sheik agreed with a disgruntled nod, and together they said, "One, two, _three_."

Sheik jumped in. Link did not.

Grinning hysterically Link watched him drop, wishing Navi was there to illuminate his fall. There was a muffled grunt, which probably meant a safe landing, so Link hopped in too.

He could tell in the ominous green light that Sheik was glaring at him. "You _liar_."

"I meant one two three jump," Link shrugged, "In my defence."

They surveyed the surroundings, touching the surprisingly supple and taught floor, like stretched cloth. Link jogged to the edge, leaning over before hastily drawing back, the smell of putrid, poisonous water making him nearly hurl.

"Sheik," he coughed, "Do you see anything?"

"Look up."

He wished he didn't have to, but Link looked. The light where they had dropped from was gone, and there was something dark and large up there, like the dancing black that you saw when you blinked in rapid succession in stark light.

Their floor lurched and launched them into the air with a resounding _boom_. Boom. _B-boom_.

The Hylian realised as the panic of vertigo nearly swallowed him: they were on a drum.

Bongo Bongo's name made sense. And the hands, hands that floated on their own with no arm or body or mind to control them performed a dreadfully cheerful beat, the hands that played with the instrument they were standing on were the size of a cow-barn each.

"Sheik!" Link spat, staring at the monstrous limbs, even as he tried to figure out where his centre of balance had gone, "All I see is two hands. I take it that's not its weakness."

"No, no it's not." Sheik was staring at the space between the two death-blue palms, past where the wrists should be connected to arms, but there was only black air. "It's created itself a heart, an eye, and a brain, and a basic body to protect itself."

Judging by how high the Sheikah was staring Link assumed that said weaknesses were a little out of reach. The Hylian growled. He wondered if it would listen to what he said if he spoke of Ganondorf, or used some of his words of Power, but he doubted Sheik would overlook that. "So what are we going to do?"

Sheik tossed him his quiver of arrows and told him to shoot the hands, as he was the better archer.

Link inwardly laughed at that. Him? Good? He wished he could show what a shot Alita was.

But he did as told and fired arrow after arrow, wishing he could use his ice-inducing spell. It would have impeded the creature enough to deal more damage, given Sheik more time to use his eyes and deal a fatal blow.

Then he remembered. He remembered a day when he had been visited by his sisters, and this was recent, where he'd supervised their trip to the lake, and how, there, he'd shot an arrow into the sun at his sisters' insistence, in honour of Din, and there he'd received…

"Unbelievable." He spat, lighting the arrowhead with his mind and sending it blazing into the right thumb of Bongo with a satisfying roar. "_Unbelievable_."

His mind had been a drone then. A drone! Twin Rova had still been messing with his mind, _all this time_. The thought of it, the very idea of it made his gut burn in utter, complete hatred.

There was no denying it now; he was going to kill those-

"Navi!"

He ducked just in time to avoid the second hand rushing to swipe him off the drum. He rolled and knelt, aiming and firing, all a one smooth motion that would've made his archery teacher proud. Both hands were occupied and singed. Sheik took a precious throwing knife and it stuck on something up high and the very cavernous room moaned, shuddering with ache.

The drum boomed as something large fell on it and Link stumbled but Sheik moved forward, racing like a cat, stabbing forward with the Master Sword. The hands that the Hylian had shot gave tremendous jerks of what looked like agony and swiped for Sheik, sending him into the wall fast enough that it virtually splattered him, before falling into the poison waters rimming the drum.

At least, Sheik was certain that would've happened if Link hadn't saved him. His arm hurt from the grip of the Long shot.

"Thanks," he muttered, helping himself up before holding the Master Sword again, wincing.

Link shrugged and notched three arrows onto the bow at once, sending them into Bongo's left hand. "No problem. How well did you hit it?"

"I impaled the eye but it healed ridiculously quickly," Sheik spat, readying another throwing knife, "I need it immobile. Or at the very least a double strike at its eye. In the centre is its brain."

Link thought that quite reasonably disgusting.

Bongo Bongo drummed and drummed, shaking their footing, trying to topple them for easy squishing. Link just jumped and torqued in the air, notching and firing, using three arrows again, lighting them up. There seemed to be a silent shriek as the burnt hand was cradled by the other, rotting flesh smelling like sickened barbeque.

"Sheik, throw that knife! Give me a target!"

He threw two, just to make sure Link saw them, and the Hylian aimed fired aimed fired again and again and again, depleting his magical reserves faster than he had ever done in his life, finally conjuring a ball of fire in the darkness. The eye of Bongo, burning. It dropped as the monster roared and roared, and Sheik stabbed deeply into the halo of fire with the Master Sword.

The screaming stopped. The hands dropped, slowly, falling apart like a cloud of autumn leaves, and the halo of fire collapsed like a balloon.

A portal of blue light emerged at the centre of the drum. Sheik gasped , heaving as he leaned on his knees, obviously exhausted. Link concurred; his torso and legs ached from the constant balancing on the wobbling drum surface.

"So?" Sheik gritted out, sheathing the Master Sword and placing it at his hip, "Are you coming?"

Link bit his lip, and eyed the blue portal. He was seeing a pattern, here. Saria, Darunia, Ruto. All of them he'd known, somehow, in his past. He admitted the sense of familiarity blurred the further he went down the list, but in the latter two instances he had been recognised.

He seemed to recall red eyes, stern, old, protective and predatory. There was a Sheikah somewhere lurking in the shadowy haze of his mind and he wasn't in the mood to be recognised, not after being forgotten by Zelda, not after he'd avoided being caught for this long.

"Do you know who the Sage is?" Link asked, poking into the dark, and he saw the other youth flinch. Lucky guess. "I just figured you might, what with you being Sheikah and all."

"So?"

"Do you know them very well?"

"Yes, well…"

"Look," Link said, grabbing onto that thread of hesitation, "I don't remember much about Saria, the girl that became the Forest Sage. I did want to see her and talk and stuff and now I can't, but, that's okay, you know? Like I said, I don't remember much, so I don't have much to miss. But you? If you know this guy, or girl, this might be the last time you see them. Do you really want the likes of me to butt in on that? It's going to be your last goodbye."

Sheik was silent  
>for what seemed like a very long time. "I know. I just… I don't think I can face that."<p>

"You were facing what looked like a one-eyed nightmare without flinching. I'm sure you'll be able to handle that."

A frustrated almost angry edge sharpened Sheik's sentence: "You can't understand-"

"_Yes I can._" Link spat, with more venom than he'd intentioned. Sheik looked just as startled as the Hylian himself was. He swallowed, thinking of Navi, the blue light: his heart and soul. "In fact, I know. I _know_ what it's like if you don't get the chance to say the proper goodbye. I _know_ what it does to you, in here," he tapped his forehead, then his chest. "And if you think on it long enough, if you lose yourself in that guilt, you end up like me."

"Navi…"

"Just… just go. Once you've said your goodbyes, come back and get me." Link smiled at him, grinned, in fact. "Sorry for the venom. I just think I shouldn't be there with you guys. I'll wait."

Sheik at length nodded, stepped into the blue light, and rose up into oblivion. Link heaved a shuddering sigh, readjusting the sword and shield across his back and notching his bow in case of some horrendous ghost-spirit-golem thing.

One crisis avoided. One more to go. The last one being the Desert Colossus.

Link knew for a fact that that would be where Sheik headed to next. But would it be cursed? _Could_ it be cursed? It was the Gerudo's Temple, where the seat of power was. It was sacred grounds, where the first Queen had led the worship, where the generations of Kings were born at each turn of the century, where his sisters had performed their rights of passage. He had never been there, never been allowed. And though this mission was proving to be quite the adventure, he wasn't sure what his people would think of him, barging in there with his Hylian feet.

And what if it was cursed? Ganondorf had said himself that he'd sacked each and every one of these Temples himself; had he done the same to the Colossus?

No. No. It couldn't be. How could he?

But then, how could he have allowed the Twin Rova to continue messing with his head? Was his personality even his, or was he just a character with a constructed fictional mind and heart, with nothing he could claim as his own?

He shuddered at that. He was a ghost. A ghost in the flesh.

_Link_, Navi's voice whispered, _then what am I?_

A chuckle escaped from him, replying, "You're you."

_I'm me. And you're you_.

"Navi."

He jumped a little at Sheik's voice, and smiled. "Hey. You said what you had to say?"

"Yes. And… thank you."

"Pleasure's all mine," Link replied, stepping into the ring of blue light, shaking his head at himself. Ganondorf was too great a man to do something as petty as control him. He was powerful enough to be respected or feared by anyone, and Link revered him both as a warrior under his banner as well as his son. Link was certain that if he really presented a threat, or was a nuisance, Ganondorf would have destroyed him years ago.

Twin Rova must've been working behind his back. That explained the freezing of the Zora's fountain, a stupid idiotic move that would've put the Gerudo in danger of draught again. Ganondorf hadn't been back in the Desert for years. If the Colossus had slipped under his notice and been taken by the Rovas, how could he be blamed? Link glowered at the image of them in his head.

For messing with his mind, for their treacherous movement behind his father's back, Link was going to slaughter them.

… … … … …

They rested a full day in Kakariko to stock up, help clear out some debris from the undead attack and to enjoy the sun. After the Shadow Temple they had both needed it; they basked in the cool day like plants. Sheik called Epona with her song, and Link bought a horse from a merchant who liked the amount of rupees in his hand too much to refuse. Ganondorf was a very rich man indeed.

They trotted through the rolling fields of Hyrule when something occurred to Link, and he cursed.

This was going to be difficult.

Link wondered how he was going to manage getting the Gerudo to do as he said. He was well respected, and a lot of people knew him by face but… he didn't know, or couldn't remember, how exactly they received the Sheikah within their culture. Zoras and Hylians the Gerudo utterly hated. They were happy with the Gorons, and were reverent of the Kokiri. But the Sheikah? They were (stereotypically) servants of Hylians. For all Link knew Sheik would be murdered on the spot, and he was attached to this strange youth, now.

As they left Epona and Link's nondescript horse in the safe hands of the shouting carpenter, after promising quite foolishly that they'd help his idiot apprentices who'd runaway to be Gerudo. Link was almost internally smug about their wanting to join, but Sheik was borderline furious.

"Traitors." Sheik muttered, fists clenched as they walked towards the fortress. Link rolled his eyes.

"Does that make every village that harbours a Gerudo traitorous?"

Sheik glared at him. "What?"

"This is news to you, isn't it." Link snorted, giving a derisive chuckle. "The villages and towns all round Hyrule have split in two. Those who escaped to the borders of the territories, and those who stayed with Gerudo in their midst."

"What?!" Sheik looked utterly horrified, and betrayed. There was a strange sense of enjoyment in that as Link continued to explain,

"Yeah. I passed a few of these villages, and they told me all about it. Most of them seemed grudgingly pleased."

"But… but… _how_?"

"Because the Gerudo take care of their resources." Link shrugged, "You can see it in the way they behave. They treat the old kindly. They look after the young. The men aren't so badly treated, given the circumstances. They're just left to themselves to do what they usually do; work in the fields."

"How do you know this?"

"Where do you think I've been staying, in the fields the whole time? Sheik, please. I do enjoy the comforts of a roof over my head, you know."

Sheik didn't reply to that, and his body-language oozed 'sullen'. Link continued on: "The Hylian Knights, apparently, had grown a little corrupt over the years, but the Gerudo women took care of that. And, oh, there are more people on the whole working on the fields so crops don't go to waste, the girls are taught to protect themselves from men and monsters, even just by a little bit. Anyway, I'm just saying the girls on the Hylians' side seem pretty pleased about the Gerudo coming into their lives. Men too, considering the feisty action they get in their private moments," Link added slyly, winking. Sheik just sighed.

"If these last seven years have been so prosperous for everyone, Navi, why are people rebelling? Answer me that, why don't you, you with your foreign objective eyes." Sheik drawled sarcastically, pacing ahead so that they could fit through a tight crevice, "Why, if the people are so happy, am I and Zelda trying so hard to win back her thrown?"

"Meh, I don't know, you miss having control?" he replied carelessly, looking for something, anything, that would help alert their presence to his people before they knocked his head with a waxed arrow or something, "You're fighting because you think it's your birth-right? Or destiny? Or maybe you just can't stand that you got beaten by a race known for petty theft?"

"If I don't hear that mocking tone end soon, I'm going to gut you, Navi."

Link couldn't help but smile. "You really care for Zelda, don't you."

Sheik snorted, not deigning to reply. Link continued on, properly thinking on it this time. "People miss things that were taken for granted. The order of things, the simple normality. The Gerudo stole that from you, and you're scrambling to find a footing, to right what you think is the correct balance. What you don't see is that though the outer lands cling to the hope that they can return to the way things were before, the inner lands have moved on, worked things out, and already beginning to set a new balance. The majority still wants the old ways, so they resist, invite the fights to come to them, guiding destruction to themselves by rebelling. If they'd just submit, then it would be over."

"Even if the King is a tyrant? Even if that scourge of the wretched desert has the power to destroy everything within the land?"

"Aren't you exaggerating a little?"

Sheik laughed derisively. "If only you knew."

Link frowned. He sounded sure. Too sure. It made Link wonder if his father really was as powerful as Sheik was making him out to be, whether the manic Navi that he'd rid himself of had spoken a grain of truth in all that squabble of self-mutilating hatred. This needed investigating. It was a good thing, then, that he was heading home.

Nabooru had to be there.

… … … … …

They were nearing the fortress and all Link could think of doing to alert them was to unsheathe his sword and reflect the sunlight at them, but it would be impossible to do without catching Sheik's suspicions. And accused of being stupid, which was just plainly degrading.

Then he saw a scorpion, and thanking the Sands Link stabbed it, flourishing the blade as much as he could. As the poisonous creature wriggled its last, he instinctively knew that he'd gained their attention, and smiled at the thought.

Sheik was glaring at him, scanning the terrain for enemies. "Navi, what in hell's name are you _doing_?"

"Scorpion." Link muttered, sheathing his blade sheepishly, "Just… scorpion."

"We would be lucky if they-" Sheik toppled to the ground, as Link ducked and scrambled from the hail of arrows, their points made of blunt wax instead of stone or metal in order to avoid killing prisoners.

"Parlay!" Link shouted, ducking under his shield, "Parlay!"

They were swarmed. Sheik grunted and tried to get up but a sharp blow from the butt of a spear did the job, and he was fully unconscious. Link, pausing a second to make sure that was the case, said, "Ally likes cactus juice, Mika has a toe that has a perpetual broken nail and the twins can never decide on a matching hairstyle that suits them both. Don't shoot me?"

"Link?" a familiar voice said, though Link was hard-pressed to place the name. "What's the Prince doing back in the Motherland?"

"Eh, a couple of spying missions, and reconnaissance. Can you guys please put the arrows away?"

"Did we just shoot your partner, Lord Prince?" a new voice said, and a cheeky short girl with impressive hoops in her ears nudged Sheik in the side with her foot. "He's temporarily dead, right now."

"I'm okay with that," Link shrugged, carefully peering round the edge of the shield. Link earned a few giggles for his deliberate cowardice and he grinned brightly back at them all, standing up stoutly. "So how's the fortress, Calla?"

The frizzy-headed, nearly blonde woman cocked an eyebrow. "You remember me?"

"Of course I do, you once let me hide in your wardrobe when I wanted to read in peace. And I saw you around Tsulen a lot."

She snorted and finally loosened her hold, putting the arrow away in the quiver. "Ah, that would explain it."

"Our Prince is Hylian? What gives?" a new girl said as the others lowered their bows and began to prepare their things, taking out equipment with which they were to bind and carry the Sheikah to their prison. As Calla admonished the girl for being disrespectful Link sighed and allowed himself to feel the sun's heat properly on his back, and bask in it, as the mixture of Hylian and Gerudo words stirred in the air around him.

It was good to be home.

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><p><strong>I have got to say, the rest of the whole story is my favourite parts. Because Link gets to be BADASS the rest of the way, rather than an emo. XD And I really got to think about the Gerudo culture and things, so yeeeeaaah. <strong>

**Anyway, review replies!**

**_Guest:_ Here it is!**

_**Guest**_**: I am planning to finish Blue Pearls, but it might take a while, considering I just love this story so much and the idea for BP sort of just fizzled... but I WILL get it done, I promise!**

_**CatsGotTongue**_**: Thank you! Yeah, the scene in Kakariko was originally longer, but I figured it seemed a little, I dunno, stalling, so yeah I cut it a bit short. Thanks! I gotta say it was interesting to write the farewell scene, it was fun. Thanks for reading, and I hope work is treating you well!**

_**Herooftimes**_**: Yeah, the story will be moving much faster now, less brooding and more action. Navi WAS getting scarier, eh. It got to the point that I was worried I'd gotten her character wrong, but yeah. Goes to show just how warped she'd become. Oh, she remembers _Link_, but it didn't even occur to her that Navi had a name, since fairies Hylians encounter tend to be just the pink ones. So she was looking for a young man named Link, with a fairy behind him, and since Link didn't match that description she didn't recognise him. It HAS been seven years, after all. :P**

_**Insane. Certifiably**_**: Excellent! Glad you enjoyed. :) And Sheik didn't notice Link's sword because he was too busy worrying about Link's state of mind to care. It's amazing, what you miss when you're not looking for it.**

**_madlink007_: Thanks! XD Hope you keep enjoying!**__

_**Havoc's Tears: **_**Thanks! D'aaw, really? It's good to know that my fics can have that much of an emotional impact! Thanks again, it's really nice and awesome to get so much praise. I'll miss her too, unless I get a little Godlike and decide to bring her back or something. XD And thank you so much for your thoughts in terms of my exams; ugh, I should be writing an essay instead of doing this, but I think it's good morale to get nice reviews, so keep 'em coming! XD**

_**SynneoftheSun:**_** Thank you! And I do love this Sheik too, he's more reserved than the other Sheik's I've depicted so far. It's nice to write him. :) I hope you liked this chapter too, and I hope to see your thought again!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: Oh yay, it's good to know that the chapter didn't go down to depressing levels, since that's just sad to read. To answer your question, I think there will be influences from her still, though he won't be so tied up about her opinion of him anymore. And damn. Sorry about the crush thing. If you were where I lived I'd be happy to go with you instead, you know, as long as you're happy with a random girl popping up in a suit and bowtie and a manic expression of glee. XD At least he was nice about it, yeah. Anyway, I hope you keep enjoying!**

_**SuperNinjaX: **_**Thank you! And as for Link being lonely without Navi, well, I wouldn't know about that... ;)**

_**daimee: **_**Hello there! XD I'm glad Navi's getting such a good response from these fics, people just find her so damn annoying, you know? Indeed her annoyingness will be missed. And thank you for picking up on Link's relationship with Ganondorf; though he IS brainwashed, he doesn't love his Dad because he has to but because he accepted him as his dad, which is I admit a little creepy since it IS Ganondorf. The question that remains, however, is how long this love will last... mwahahaha. I hope you enjoyed htis chapter too!**

**So yeah, guys, not sure when I'll be updating next, with exams abnd all, but YOU HAVE NO IDEA how motivating reviews are, so keep 'em coming! **

**HHave nice day!**

**S.S.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Confession and celebration time WOOOOO!**

**For one, the confession is, nothing much happens in this chapter. The gerudo are explored thoroughly, but that's about it. They do, however, get going into the Spirit Temple next. So yay?**

**And celebration because I FINISHED MY EXAMS WOOOO. Tempted to pull an allnighter to just write EVERYTHING I want to write, but hey, that's not exactly sensible, so no. **

**Aaaaaanyway, thank you to all those who commened/reviewed, and see you all soon enough!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next chapter<strong>_

"You have no idea how much I've missed cactus juice."

Aveil rolled her eyes as Link chugged down another glass full of the stuff, smiling goofily as the fuzzy feeling spread from his stomach to the back of his throat. In the early days of remembering Navi the juice had been his lifeline, a way to convince himself that he was only hallucinating, till one day the voice in his head had reminded him of the Kokiri. Boy, they had been frightening days.

It felt good to be wearing Gerudo style clothing again, even for a few hours. Sheik was currently in a cell, which was meant to be inescapable. After all, it was a room without windows, the only way in being a hole in the ceiling, two storeys away. He'd been grounded there numerous times by his superiors. He chuckled.

Aveil tapped his shoulder to gain his attention. "So who is that Sheikah, anyway?"

"Zelda's right-hand man, I think. Or close to it."

Aveil whistled, smirking. "That'll be a prize worth keeping for our King, don't you think?"

Link shook his head, waving down the look of incredulity on the woman's face. "Father wants him for himself. I think he's testing Sheik's ability before giving him a chance at a duel or something."

"…Seriously?"

"Yup."

"That man is far too dramatic."

"I know."

"That young chit might be his undoing, for all we know." Link stared at her flatly for that. Aveil laughed and threw up her hands, giving a hearty shrug. "What? It _could_ happen, you know."

All Link could do was give a conceding shrug, and gratefully received a cup of warm water. The little girl that'd served him looked at him oddly for his thanks and blushed before scampering off. Link watched her go, puzzled. Aveil snickered next to him. "You're too kind to the children. They're not used to affectionate superiors."

"What? You guys were plenty affectionate to me. Unless you were, I don't know, hesitant to be fair to me because of father. And I find that doubtful."

"No, we just found you too much a novelty. Like, a guay that parroted what we said. It was amusing."

Link scowled as he sipped the water. "Thank you for my ego boost."

Aveil cocked her head to the side, her eyes dark with kohl. "How do you remember your teachers?"

The scowl deepened. "They were all out to get me."

"Imagine that attitude spread around and shared by everyone older than you. That's what our children deal with all the time."

Link thought about that and grimaced. "By gods, Hylian kids are pampered compared to what we do here."

"It teaches us discipline, as far as we're concerned. To not be bullied. Earn your place, _know_ your place, but don't let others abuse it."

Link bit his lip at that. He thought of Ganondorf, of what Sheik was saying. About himself and his place here. "Where do _I_ sit?"

She rolled her eyes again, snorting in exasperation. "You're still worried about that?"

"A little…"

"Goddesses, Link." She gesticulated wildly as she counted with her fingers. "Your sisters vouch for you. _Nabooru_ vouched for you. _Our King adopted you_. What more do you want?"

A cheeky grin. "_Everyone's_ approval?"

"Little nephew, we've covered this subject too often. Let's get to something more interesting. Like Nabooru, in fact." Aveil leaned over to him, the pillow shifting beneath her. Link sat upright in his own cushion and frowned at the intense gaze she was giving him. "What do you remember of her?"

"Um… well, it's, I don't know I haven't seen her in a while. She was good to me. Are you asking for anything specific?"

Aveil stared at him for what seemed like a very, very long time before sighing and shaking her head. "She's missing."

Link had a feeling that she had wanted to say more than that, but she had his full attention none-the-less. "_Missing_? What, but, how can our _second in command_ go missing?"

"Let me rephrase," the middle-aged woman grunted, scratching the inner whorl of her round ear, "She's been odd. Blank. It's like the insides aren't there," she tapped her forehead, grimacing. "I'm worried about her. She's cooped herself up in the Temple for over a week now, and she only had rations enough for three days. Do you have time enough to scope out the place for her? Or does whatever Ganondorf's making you do taking precedence?"

The way she said his father's name, coupled with the odd question about Nabooru, made Link sigh. "You're part of the Resistance she set up, aren't you."

Aveil all but turned into a statue, eyes wide, gaze fixated on the floor. Terrified.

"I won't… I won't tell," Link said, alarming her all the more, it seemed. "Look, please, I… I don't know enough about politics to understand this type of thing. I just… I just don't want Gerudo blood being spilled. That's all."

Aveil licked her lips, and swallowed. "Especially your Father's, I take it?"

"_Anyone's_," Link snapped, banging the cup against the floor. "You all raised me. I love this Desert. I like you Aveil, and maybe I haven't shown it all these years, but I respect you. I'm not a thinker, I'm not… he's my father. I just… I trust that what you think you're doing is right. If _you're_ in it, a lot of people are in too, right?" he gave a sidelong glance at her and absently shook his head. "Don't answer that, I don't like lying to Father."

"Then why keep it a secret?"

"I want to work out for myself what's so wrong about his reign that even his own people are starting to fight against it. Or have been fighting against it from the very beginning. Like Nabooru."

Aveil's gaze snapped to his face. "You _knew_? All this time?"

"No. Just recently remembered. How long did _you_ know that Twin Rova was messing with my head?" Link snapped resentfully, gritting his teeth.

"…Just under eight months, I think. Once Nabooru told me she's been fighting their control, and how I noticed that… her eyes when she's completely… they were like yours, as a child."

Link shuddered. "Was I really that obviously out of it?"

"I just thought it was a Hylian thing. We _all_ did. How else would those pale-livered worms keep getting robbed by us?"

Link snorted and gave a conceding tilt of the head. "So what do you want me to do? Help you out?"

"You're quite obviously on your Father's side. I won't ask you for a favour if it will go against your loyalty to him. Nor do I intend to be under debt to one of his…" Link had a feeling that she'd wanted to use a derogatory term, but settled with, "To you."

"What about my loyalty to the Twin Rova?" he said with false cheer, steel glinting in his blue eyes, "Because I have none. In fact I kind of want to kill them. Brutally. As soon as I can."

Aveil couldn't help but smirk and wag her brows. "Vengeance?"

Link nodded. "You got that right."

"On that note, we generally don't like the Twins, either. As a friend of our second in command, could you, on your way to the Colossus, if it's beneficial to you… Any chance you can get hold of Nabooru? Preferably with her mind intact, like yourself. "

"The Sheikah can do mind-magic, or something. I think I can put him up to fixing her, if she needs it." He extended a hand out to her, and smiled. "Shake? Truce, for now?"

She couldn't help but smile in return, taking his hand to shake it. "Truce. For now. Broken when…?"

Link hardened the grip. "When you start a civil war."

She tightened the grip hard enough to nearly break his fingers. "It won't be our side that'll be starting it, you wait and see."

Link forced himself not to wince, to not suggest any sign of pain. And by gods it hurt. "I'd rather not see it at all."

She grinned and let go. "Fair enough."

A guard veiled in novice's purple barged in, panting. "The Sheikah's escaped!"

Link and Aveil looked at each other. The Hylian grinned. "He's good at that."

… … … … …

Link changed back into the tunic his sisters had decked him into when he'd left the castle in what seemed like months ago, as Sheik ran his way through the Fortress, looking for Link and only finding the trapped carpenter apprentices. "What are Gerudo attitudes towards the Sheikah anyway?"

"Historically we were great friends."

"_Really_?" Link blinked at that, surprise evident.

"The Hylians considered us two races the outsiders," Aveil shrugged as she watched Link put on his gauntlets, flexing his fingers to get comfortable with them, "for reasons beyond our knowledge. We stuck together, worked together, till some random Sheikah helped one of the royalty a few hundred years back. The Sheikah service to that race started from there."

"But what about now?"

"As long as that little thing doesn't accidentally kill one of us, meh, we could throw you guys a feast? We haven't done that in a while. "

The Prince snorted at that. "And how are we going to justify it?"

"We _could _give him a bogus membership card?"

"Into the Gerudo? He'd have a fit." Link chuckled, slinging his sword and shield over his back. "Let's do it. Oh wait, how are we justifying me being free?"

"We could say we tossed you into the training grounds in the hopes of killing you off? You're still the youngest among us to earn the ice-spelled crystals, by the way."

"Thanks. I'm off for a bit of a nostalgic bout in those tunnels, then."

He was maybe in there for an hour before a Gerudo with Sheik in tow came to find him slaying a large Stalfos. Link cheerfully called Sheik over, showing him the Ice Crystal, how it could be used to create arrows tipped with ice, how it could cool their flasks of water for a trip back through the heated sands. Sheik snorted and gave him a relieved slap on the back, calling him an idiot.

Link couldn't help but laugh.

Sheik showed him the membership card, flipping it over to examine it from all angles, admitting it seemed a little bogus.

"Who cares?" Link retorted, grinning ear-to-ear, "We get a party thanks to that!"

They were bedecked in clothes fit for Princes (Link's clothes), though Sheik determinedly kept his cowl on. Once the sun was down, bonfires lined with incense were lit, drums rolled, and the bows were lined out with the flutes.

Sheik eyed the bows and the arrows warily but Link laughed. "They're instruments."

The red-eyed youth scowled at the Hylian. "And how would you know this?"

"They told me," Link shrugged, "I got a sneak preview of what they sound like, you'll be _amazed_."

The blue-eyed youth was enjoying the discomfort of the Sheikah far too much. Sheik didn't know how to behave himself; the enemy of his Princess was treating him like a prized guest, cheering him, encouraging him to drink and dance and give a friendly spar, to recite old tales of their two races and their mutual heroes and their adventures, and to play with the band. Link grinned and lay on the sand, placing his palms down onto the ground, feeling the great drums of the Gerudo ringing in the very earth. Bongo's tunes faded from memory as he listened. Flutes of bone howled with the staccato twangs of the ceremonial bowstrings against arrows made of gold. It caught the wind and spun it into a string of delirium and celebration.

The Gerudo, the People of Spirit, knew well how to enjoying _living_.

The abundance of food gratified Link to no end. He was told of how the lean cows gave poor milk but the new coconuts and dates gave milk and meat aplenty, how said cows were put to good use for getting rid of dried palm leaves and turning it into fresh fertilizing manure. One had recently died of old age and every single part of it had gone to good use; the food was laid out on its very hide. Its meat had been pounded and beaten within an inch of its second death, and the softened meat was served raw because it was so fresh, cut so thin Link almost convinced himself that he could see through it, served with berry-wined onions.

The chickens were being difficult, though the generation clutched from imported eggs were doing better in this climate than their fore-bearers. They ate ground seeds and shells of dates, and the shavings of dried cactus. Their feathers were becoming a bit of a fashion accessory, though dyed, of course, and the eggs were making their daughters strong.

Everyone received one, baked in the earth by the heat of the sun, carefully cracking them open and salting the flesh, mixing each mouthful with a dried salad of raisins and cactus flowers, drizzled with oil.

When the dessert came it was received with howls of sheer excitement and relish. The bowls, instead of wood or stone, were made of _ice_. Trapped in the ice were flower petals of all colours mixed with desert herbs and shards of smooth glass balls, making the contents look as if they were floating in the flicking firelight. In them were Hylian fruits: strawberries, melons both green and orange, peaches and plums, apricots, and intermittently there were bowls full of cream, imported in specially that day just for this moment, mixed with more herbs. There were tiny tough cakes of grains and honey as well. Link's mouth watered with the smell of home.

The music stopped. The dancers stopped. Everyone came to sit down and there was a moment of silence. Aveil stood up under the stars, amidst the soft roaring of the bonfires, and clapped twice.

The cooks, or who Sheik supposed were the cooks, strode out into the open and were carrying trays of mugs, and behind them ridiculously gleeful girls were holding heavy jugs between themselves, and the contents sloshed.

"My Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, and Guests," she added, motioning towards the two men sitting on her left, "Today we have special reason to celebrate. One, for the defeat of our four esteemed Warriors against our friend Sheik, whose people we haven't seen in too long." There was obliging applause as the cooks handed round cups and the girls holding the jugs shuffled round, letting everyone dunk their cups to the brim. "Let it be known that the Sheikah, as long as none of them kill us, will always be welcome in our lands." There was a giggle as Aveil added, "Come on now, we haven't killed any of _their_ kind in generations. Fair's fair. Secondly, we congratulate this man here for completing the Chamber of Ordeals in record time. Does everyone have a cup of water, now?"

There was an agreeing murmur, even from the cooks and the girls. Aveil raised her cup, and so did the others. "We've been fortunate these years. So much so that I feel in my superstitious bones that it mightn't last." Aveil gave a crooked grin in the dancing firelight, the glow flashing against her teeth. "But we have enough to eat. We have enough to _drink_, and the Goddesses know how grateful we are. Let us give thanks for the Gift of Water, the Blessed Rain, and the Mythic Ice. Bags eating some."

"Just get on with it!"

Link froze, recognising that voice.

"Alright, alright!" Aveil laughed, grinning ear to ear. "Let us worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Let us enjoy today, today! In honour of these two guests, let's drink. To the Goddess!"

"To the Goddess!" was the chorused reply, Sheik saying it a beat late. Everyone took to their water like pilgrims to their holy altars. Reverently. Some took a few sips, some chugged it down, but still there was an extreme sense of utter gratefulness that profoundly touched the Sheikah's heart. He tried to speak of it to Link, but the Hylian had his eyes closed, his lips pressed carefully against the surface of the water, almost kissing it before taking a long, luxurious sip.

When Link surfaced from his drink his smile was enthused. "You have no idea how good that tastes."

Sheik tried, forgetting to worry about poison.

It was the cleanest water he had had in all of his life.

… … … … …

After the fruit was eaten there was much dancing, and losing Sheik in the undulating crowd Link sought out the owner of the voice, and found her, digging her teeth into one of the ice bowls.

He didn't know whether to be relieved or worried. "Hi, Alita."

"Hello, brother dearest," she said, vigorously rubbing his head like a pet's.

"What are you doing here?" he asked happily enough, pushing her hand away. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, you know, business," she shrugged, handing him a leather bag full of something. "I'm heading back to the Castle tomorrow morning. I was using these for my errand, but I think you might need them more than me. Here."

He received the gift with a puzzled frown, and when he pulled it out he gasped, the silver plated gauntlets imbued with symbols of power, shining in the moonlight. "By Din. Alita, are you _serious_?"

"I am."

"These things are _powerful_. Does father know you have them? What made you need them in the _first_ place?" the confusion had pulled his voice an octave higher. "And what makes you think_ I_ need them?"

"I'm not giving them specifically to you, you twit." She sighed with mild mockery. "They're for Nabooru, though I suppose I can give you permission to use them until you see her. I heard from Aveil that you're going to seek her in the Spirit Temple."

A worm of fear squirmed in his gut. "Did she tell you why?"

"It's about Zelda, isn't it? I have to say, moon-spit, you must be fairly desperate if you're going to consult the desert oracle."

"Oh, oh, right…" Link didn't tell her of his niggling, shifting, loyalty. He didn't tell her of his wanting to kill Twin Rova, of Nabooru, of the civil unrest in the very Fortress, his growing attachment to Sheik and his Princess. Did she even know about the rebellion? Or were the people too scared to consult any of his sisters, because of their connection to him and his father?

He remembered her distrust of him, from the memory of long ago, how he'd told Tarrimb of what he thought the Rovas had done to him, how she in turn had possibly told the others. What did Alita see in him? Was he a Gerudo to her? Wasn't he? He didn't know why but he had a feeling that if he spoke of his uncertainty now, everything would be ruined, somehow.

He lowered his head, a sign of respect to an older sibling before turning away.

"Link!"

He hadn't heard his name in so long he almost didn't turn back.

"We love you, brother." She said, waving her hand, "Just a message from the twins and, well, all of us. When this is over, let's talk. We haven't been able to catch up for a long time. And you can bake those famous cakes of yours."

The smile that spread across his face was of utmost gratitude and relief. "I love you guys too. Be careful out in the fields, alright? There're more skultulas out there than you think."

Alita laughed and disappeared into the night.

… … … … …

Link had wanted to go out as soon as the dancing was finished; the night and morning would be cool enough to travel through the desert, and it would give him an excuse to wear his old clothes again. But Aveil counselled against it, telling him it was Sandstorm season. They were going to get lost without sunlight, as pathetic as it sounded, and their gear wasn't weather-worthy. They were told to sleep, get ready in the morning, and leave as soon as the rim of the sun left the horizon. Good night, and may Furore be kind upon you.

Sheik was flabbergasted at how sincerely _nice_ they all were. Link could see it written on the limited visible space of his face.

"I just… don't understand why."

"Maybe the people don't know their King like you do. Or vice-versa." Link shrugged, before turning in, falling asleep almost immediately on the familiar blankets.

… … … … …

He almost slept in; the bed just felt so good. But Sheik's presence and the worry for his sword being noticed for its engravings forced him awake with a scared shiver.

He had been extremely _lucky_ these last few days. Especially in the Shadow Temple. When Sheik was fixing his head or something he'd failed to notice the blade's patterns simply because the weather had been cloudy _and_ Link had been such a distracting sappy _mess_. As for the rest of the temple, it had been blessedly dark, and the invisible monsters had been the perfect distractions. So far his secret was safe.

Good morning, Navi; he thought, but there was no reply. He was a little relieved, and sad.

He got out of bed, the fire of predawn colouring the skies a pale blue and the sands a butter yellow. He smiled at the view, leaning out the glassless window, the cool night air saying its last goodbye. The rest of the day would be scorching winds. He could feel it.

Not the best sort of wind if you were heading into a sandstorm…

They packed two large bottles of water each and not much food except a few strips of jerky, chunks of coconut and a bag of dried dates. Link and Sheik departed at the time that they had been advised at, almost to the second, and they ducked into the blowing sands.

_The wind can kill you, where I come from, _Nabooru had said. Link had grown to understand that, but did Sheik? The desert Prince watched the Sheikah carefully, as they traversed through the Wastes.

It was worse than Link had imagined.

The sands were like shards of glass in their speed, fierce as a horde of devils, and blinding, blinding, filling the horizon and the sky and the very _world_ with murderous hazy red-white-gold specs. Link had been taking the rear at first, but he gained on Sheik; over took him, in fact. They were connected at the hip by a sizable rope (the Gerudo had vehemently insisted on it) and soon Link was pulling him along. He had to; they didn't want to be in this maelstrom when the sun hit its peak. Those three hours when the sun reached its zenith was Din's Wrath, the time in which it was said that she tortured souls of child-killers.

The sand would soak in the heat. It would become a literal boiling hell on earth, and that was not an end Link wished to meet. Not when he was this close on entering his peoples' sacred grounds.

They kept going. And going. And going. If they didn't they would be buried alive. If they didn't they would be lost. Link gritted his teeth and searched in the hail for the guiding flags in the desert weather, big thick red banners blustering at the tips of pillars wide and tall as the trees in the Kokiri forest, leading them closer to an outpost.

An outpost, Link hoped, that wasn't buried under all this sand.

He sort of understood, now, why his family had never let him near here. The Gerudo had a keen sense of direction, not to mention the blessings of the goddess in their blood, allowing them to live in such harsh conditions. He barely had use of the senses he relied on most—sight and hearing—and his Hylian skin wasn't used to such a battering, no matter his upbringing here, or as a fighter.

Sheik's frame was tiny. Link kept tugging him out of the sand. There was a high chance that they could die here.

And all this thought in only half an hour. They reached the first flagpole and Link desperately searched for the next. Once spotted, he determinedly marched towards it, tempted to throw his boots away; the sand was consistently weighing him down. But that would be a short-sighted move. In mere hours the sand would be too hot to stand on.

Sheik was shouting at him, but Link didn't listen, or try to. He was wasting his breath, and his energy. Even trying to tell him would be a waste of energy, so Link ignored him and kept on pulling, insistently, urgently, finally reaching the second flag.

There was no such thing as time anymore. Just the measuring of the heat in the sand, its speed and ferocity, the brightness reflected in it by the sun. Link cursed, searching for the next pole, and finding it, moved on. By the third flag his muscles ached, and he was struggling to breathe through the mask over his mouth and nose. He and Sheik had tied one on each other's faces as tightly as they could but still sand was getting into his mouth and nose. Link kept his mouth shut, tried not to swallow the sand, and dragged Sheik along.

There should have been an outpost by now, was Link's thoughts as panic thudded where his heart should have been. The sand was building in its heat; it had been just sand, a little on the cool side when they'd started, but now it was beginning to warm like freshly baked bread. There really should have been an outpost by now, but there wasn't, so Link doubled his efforts and dragged Sheik behind him, who was doing his best to catch up but was just small enough to be really buffeted by the wind.

_The wind can kill you, where I come from. _

Not today, Link spat at it.

* * *

><p><strong>Does that count as a cliff hanger?<strong>

**Anyway, sorry for the delay in this coming, but the next one, I think, will make the wait worth it. :P**

**Review replies!**

_**daimee: **_**Thank you daimee! I have to admit, it was pretty exciting. XD I hope you enjoyed what I've done with the Gerudo race, and that you're looking forward to the rest of the desert. And Sheik totally would've reacted like that, lol. And then probably realise with a terrible sinking stomach that Link was a lying cheating little... insert expletive. ;)**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: Yaaaaay! Yaaaaay! Yaaaay! I hope your guy is good to you! If not, feel free to give me his e-mail and I'll write him a curse. I'm such a horrible person. XD Thank you for your review, it's nice to hear such good things about what I write. As for Link and Sheik's 'I won't stab your face, good sir' relationship, I wonder how long that will last... (-v-)**

**_saka moon_: Oh yes, Link gets to be badass. So much badassery from here on in. It's gonna be AWESOME. I really do hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and will continue to do so from here in. XD**

_**SuperninjaX: Lol I know eh. **_

**_CatsGotTongue:_ Wow, long review. Yayness! And that first paragraph made the pain of exams worthwhile; thank you so much for your thoughts! I hope the way I handled Sheik amidsts the Gerudo was okay. :P Link was being a little obvious during the feast, I think but hey, he missed being home. And good luck with work! Don't worry about making the coffee, all you have to do is wear gloves and not drink it. If it tastes horrible, you COULD always ask them why they're doing something as silly as getting hot beverages from a DOUGHNUT STORE. We sell doughnuts, man! Coffee's the sideshow. **

_**Guest1: **_**Thank you! The update took a while, I admit, but hey, it's here! **

_**Guest2: **_** I LOVE making things tougher than they seem, I always do it in real life (which is a stupid thing to do, by the way) and yeah, those two get beat up a lot. I like throwing Sheik's gender into question because just so many people like to make him/her their own character but mal or still female and it's hilarious. Hope you enjoyed, and that you read and review again. Thanks!**

_**Havoc's Tears: **_**Not so much badassery here, I admit, but there will be plenty from here on in! Thank you so much fro the congrats, and I hope you keep reading, cuz you're on eo fht enames I get excited about seeing in the reviews. Thanks again!**

_**TheSilhouette**_**: Oh wow. Such wonderful sentiment in such a short sentence. Thank you so much, and it's an honour to make someone feel that way. I hope you keep reading, and keep enjoying. Thank you. **

_**Darkwolflink: **_**Lol I totally understand, sometimes logging in can be such a hassle. Yeah, Ganon was stupid for letting the Market place to get so run down, but in his defence that was all the rebellions were getting planned, so he went, you know what, screw it, and bombed the hell out of it. He laughed. I can't wait to make the final reveal, it' going to be so EPIC. Thank you so much for your support, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. **

**That's all, folks! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey all! I hope you guys hav finished tests, exams, school, work, whatever, and getting geared up for the holidays and the dreaded grades. I personally got all my gradfes back and sort of scraped through, thank gods, so yeah, UPDATE TIME.**

**Enjoy the read!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next chapter, maybe<strong>_

It was a race against the sun, a race the ball in the sky was winning. It didn't help that there were distractions. And it wasn't the Sandstorm.

It was the Ghosts.

He'd totally forgotten about the Haunted Wasteland. It was a pocket of desert that the Sand Storm completely avoided, because it was so packed with magic. He'd been relieved as the two had stumbled into it, thinking they'd been given a reprieve from the onslaught of sand, but no. Link kept his eyes closed and marched forward, gritting his teeth.

It targeted your worst fears, rather than just the fear of death.

If he opened his eyes the bodies of the Kokiri and his Gerudo friends would be scattered there, the sands soaking the blood. He'd see them covered in snakes, being devoured by the cold-blooded creatures. He'd see other things, probably, aside from his obvious fear, but more subtle things that only the magic would pick up on, things he would know as his worst terror only if he _saw_ it.

Which he desperately avoided doing. He felt the heat of the sun almost splitting the right hand side of him, so he kept it there and marched forward, his heart hammering with fear.

Navi, he thought, I wish you were still here.

_I am_.

He tried not to believe it, and put it down to the magic of the Haunted Wasteland. Oh gods. Would she snap at him again? Stab him with her words and leave him bleeding? Gods, no, he only just survived that, anything but that, please…

He determinedly ignored anything, and marched forward. One foot after the other. One gasp after another. He was a strong youth, he knew that, he'd proved that. His mind was stronger than the spell trapped in it, so there was nothing to fear. The desert was his home. _The desert was his home_. It had no right to treat him this way, and it was stupid of _him _to fear it.

"Stop that," Link hissed, opening his eyes, glaring at the blurred figures that tried to rearrange themselves into something that would cow him. "I am Link, I am Gerudo, and I am stronger than you."

_Are you?_ It asked, against all his claims. _Are you really this boy you think you are? Are you really of the people you consider you belong? Are you really powerful enough to face us?_

"I'm stronger than you." Link gritted his teeth and laughed in its face. "Give me what you _got_!"

He was wearing the Silver Gauntlets, and he fisted his hands in front of his face, and kept going, marched forward, eyes wide open and brimming with confidence. The metal of the gauntlets flashed a blinding white against the sun, real and powerful. He revelled in its security and kept moving.

_Why not fight us without it, coward? Why not face us with nothing but your heart. Don't the gloves prove you're weak? Doesn't the silver you brandish a sign of your powerlessness?_

"Didn't you know? They say that those unworthy of this get eaten alive by it. Spiritually speaking of course," Link smirked, cupping some sand into his hands. "_Now get out of my sight_!"

He threw the sand, and the power of the gauntlets made them rocket through the air, cutting the illusions into bits and pieces, positively shredding them. His grin was like a shark's as he threw his second lot of sand and obliterated the rest.

"Come on, Sheik!"

They ran. Sheik was barely conscious because of the heat, but he was working on autopilot, pumping his legs, allowing Link to lead them both back into the churning painful domain of the sandstorm. There was a flag, and on reaching it Link let out a triumphant howl. The sandstorm was lessening, and he saw two flags in the distance. The furthest one had a flag of blue as well, and that meant there was an outpost close by.

"Thanks for the shortcut, Ghosts!" Link yelled, tugging Sheik forward, pushing him in front to make sure the youth didn't trip over his own feet and get buried alive in a second. The flag of hope seemed a lot further away than he thought, and for a second he got a terrifying feeling that the Ghosts were even tricking him now, sending him a mirage to lead him astray.

He was leading the Hero of Time to where he needed to be, couldn't he be given a _break_?

They reached the flag, and the outpost was there, in the distance, squatting in the heart of a building mountain of sand. The sun was reaching its peak. He could feel it in the sandstorm, which was warming up to the levels of Death Mountain's molten core.

Almost there. _Almost there._

They stumbled on the entrance, Link woke Sheik up from his heated stupor, and together they dug the door out from under the strata and threw themselves in. It was pleasantly cool, but felt icy after so much heat. It didn't help that they'd tripped and were racing down, down, falling to the ground that lay half as deep as the well in Kakariko, the ground meeting them with a merciless _slam_.

Link managed to say 'ow' before falling unconscious.

… … … … …

It was too cold. Link shivered awake, and continued to shake. Sheik was already awake, but not for long, it seemed, since he was trying to get a fire going. Link immediately stripped down from his sweat-soaked clothes and scooted over to the fire, taking out an arrow from the quiver. He recalled the fire-arrow's spell and stuck it into kindling, making it burst into flames.

Sheik gave him a side-long glance, and sighed. "I owe you my life."

"I've owed you mine a few times, so we're even." Link winced as his whole body creaked from the excursion in the wastes, and started to massage his leg to ease the ache. "Unless you're counting."

Sheik snorted. "Trust me, if I had, I'm sure you'd be winning."

Link laughed, though his teeth chattered. "Hey, I'll shove some arrows onto this thing, I am _cold_."

"We have a limited amount of weapons!" Sheik cried out, stopping Link from taking a handful of said weapons, "We shouldn't waste them for _kindling_."

"Of the last two temples, they were stocked like armouries. I'm _sure_ we can find some arrows wherever we're going next, we'll be fine." He tossed them into the fire to punctuate his point.

"And just for saying that there won't be any at all." Sheik moaned, too tired to really fight back.

"And just for saying that, there will be," Link shot back, chucking a few more arrows into the fire to annoy the guy. They were Hylian-made and a seriously poor quality compared to the stuff he was used to. "Besides, we need our clothes warm and dry for the night; or else we wouldn't survive the rest of the trip."

They huddled into the fire, warming coconuts close to the flames and chewing slowly on the jerky, sipping at their precious water. Once everything was done with, including their haphazard kindling, they moved on. It was night outside, and the sandstorm had stopped.

The Desert was a world of silver.

Link shuddered in relief. He had missed the nights here; the way the moon and stars were reflected in the undulating surface of the desert, how the breeze whispered lullabies in the navy swirling sky and how the sands sighed back, drifting in its sleep. One wouldn't think that the night could possibly be this bright, this ghostly, this beautiful.

It was a sea of pearls and opals and crystal with tides of diamonds and limestone and glass, lapping over islands of silver and white gold. Why would it want anything living, anything else, when its stark beauty marked it to be a wonder worthy of the goddesses themselves? Link couldn't help a soft chuckle. Nothing could describe this splendour.

Sheik tried anyway. "This… this is… amazing."

Link grinned and shrugged. "You're right. This is awesome."

They climbed to the top of the outpost, but there were no flags in sight. They read the sand scoured tablet and only Sheik seemed to get it, because he yelled, pointed at nothing in the sky, and leapt.

"Sheik what're you-!"

"Hurry!"

Link decided to shut up and follow him. It was a mad dash of a chase, taking them everywhere and nowhere at once, and Link really wanted to demand what in hell was going on but Sheik looked as if he was concentrating like mad, keeping his eyes straight up as if he was tracking something, but of course Link didn't see a thing. It must be a ghost. But what _kind_?

The guiding kind, it turned out, since they leapt into a cocoon of broiling sand and wind, and beyond that wall was the Desert Colossus, its body thrusting up proud and strong into the skies.

Link fell on his knees, awed. He was finally there. He was finally looking at it. It was a relic of old, crumbling because of the abuse of the terrain, its majesty blanketed by the dark of night. It was still damn well worth it to have come all this way.

If it weren't for the sudden swarm of leevers and maldorms, that is.

Link was so shocked by the sand-worm that leapt at his face that he forgot to get his sword and simply punched it with a yelp. Sheik was much the same with his leever, giving it a resounding kick that made it squeal. There was a scramble of weapons and the two of them fled while slashing their way to safety, specifically an outcropping of rock. Link lobbed a few bombs behind them and one forward, ducking under his shield to avoid most of the blast before leading the way in. They stumbled to a stop, heaving, completely worn out from their two short bursts of mad running.

"What was that _for_?" the red-eyed youth demanded, hacking and coughing on the ash and soot, "You nearly killed us!"

"I like explosions?" he replied sheepishly, rubbing at his burning eyes.

"Please don't make me wish you were still haunted by that girl," Sheik coughed again, standing up with difficulty, "At least _then_ your violent insanity was subdued by your mopey depression."

"Hey, I resent that."

"Only because it's true."

"Would you mortals please shut _up_?"

They froze. They held their weapons tighter and placed their backs to each other's, glaring wildly at the tunnel they'd blasted themselves into. "Who are you?"

"This way, mortals," the tone was mischievous, and ethereal light glowed from where she spoke. "And please, don't hurt me."

Link doubted from that voice's confidence that they'd be able to hurt it even if they tried. They hesitated but went to the source to find a basically naked woman floating over a fountain of sparkling water, the hair splitting in three fiery strands, smiling at them alluringly.

Link grabbed Sheik and pulled him back round the corner, out of sight. "What the _hell_ is _that_?"

"That," Sheik said patiently even as Link shoved him against the tunnel wall looking outraged, "is a Great Fairy. A few of them have aided me kindly these last few weeks. We can trust her. Let me go."

"_Why_ is a Great Fairy dressed like a _slut_?"

"I can hear you, you know," the fairy laughed, making Link blush.

Sheik cocked an eyebrow and replied, "Why do you think Gerudo dress the way they do?"

"Because it's hot, and they have no men ogling them, that's why. Wouldn't the Great Fairy have lots of customers? Most of them men? I-_oh-my-gods_." Realising what he'd said, he glowered around the corner and asked, "That's not what you do, is it? Tempt people like us and eat us whole?"

"No, it isn't, and if you don't shut up soon you may end up a redead."

"You're on your own," Link told Sheik immediately, shoving him around the corner.

The grumbling Sheikah mildly apologized on Link's behalf, and Link leaned against the wall, keeping out of sight, sighing in relief.

That had been close.

He didn't know much about great fairies, except that they had territories, and knew a lot about their respective domains. The Fairy here, for all he knew, would be very knowledgeable about the Gerudo, hell, even him. If that Fairy indicated knowing Link, then his cover would be blown. He really would've liked a healing and blessed rest from her too, but no. Keeping secrets was just so much harder than revelling in the truth of being Ganondorf's son…

He really did hope the Colossus would be a breeze…

"Navi," Sheik called, "We've been offered a place to stay. Will you stop being a cucco and come out?"

"I am _not_ a cucco," Link snapped, whirling round the corner, keeping his expression carefully stony. The fairy smiled at him, exceedingly amused. She knew, Link suspected, she knew everything.

It's funny, he thought, almost _realised_, I would've killed her without hesitation, only a week ago.

"No," the Fairy said, making him reconsider for a lightning of a second concerning his choice on killing her or not, "This one is no cucco. Perhaps a caged bird, but not a cucco. A Kargarok, maybe? You'll soon find out, once done with this Temple."

Link couldn't help but snort, though Sheik looked surprised. Kargaroks were monsters of lore for Hylians, but for the Gerudo, they were the kings of the Nether Skies. The Deadlands.

A perfect description for him, to be sure.

… … … … …

They felt better than ever after sleeping on the Fairy's stone floor. They went out into the overly bright world, wincing at the harsh sunlight before rushing over the sand, avoiding the leevers and the three-toothed sandworms. Gods Link had never been told about those things, and in a way he was very, very glad. It would've ruined the image of the desert in his youth, though he'd wished he'd known now so he could've bloody protected himself.

They stumbled into the Temple and ducked desperately from the two vases or pots or something that flew straight at them, breaking themselves open on the walls. Link just hoped that that was a normal thing, rather than a Koume-Kotake thing that they'd set up to scare intruders like them and warn themselves of said intruders.

And he shivered at the sight of snakes. Oh they weren't real snakes, just stone statues. But they were huge, and had inscriptions on them, which Sheik read with a grave glare. He stared at a hole in the ground, and then at a block with the Gerudo symbol on it, which was quite literally twice as big as the usual blocks and looked distinctly heavier.

Link glanced at the signs, skimming over the words about time and childhood and innocence and things, but he shrugged and flexed his fingers, willing to give these gauntlets a go.

"Sheik, come on." He shook out his hands, grinning in anticipation. "We've got a Temple to go through."

He gave a weary sigh, and was about to say something but Link pushed the block, and with a protesting groan, it _moved._ If Link had seen Sheik's expression, it would have been priceless. The Hylian pushed and pushed, and then it dropped and he yelped and stumbled away as the block gave a massive boom, hitting the false floor.

The passageway was open. Link gave a victorious crow. "Al_right_ let's go."

Sheik stared at him for a very, very long time.

… … … … …

Link was awed. This place had to be thousands of years old yet it managed to stay pristine, beautiful, majestic. The walls with slits for windows let in fresh air and sunshine into a place that would've been musty without it, and even with the giant snake coiling round the second large statue of the Goddess it was glorious in its size and dignity, the Queen of the land sitting with two palms extended, demanding treasure and respect.

Link was interrupted in his awe by the attack of statues that exploded after they were hit often enough, which was utterly infuriating.

This was his people's _legacy_. This was his family's _honour_. Why were there monsters here? Why were they ruining this holy ground? He wanted to go on a hunt for these things, to kill every single last one of them. How dare they? How _dare_ they come here and taint this house of history and worship?

Then Link shuddered. The other Temples were just the same.

Sure, they were all mad. They were silly and dangerous and gods damned absurd, but if each and every single one of those Temples had this much of a place in the hearts of their people as this one did in him… and by Gods, the Gorons had nearly been _sacrificed _in their House, a most cruel example of irony. The house of death had nearly brought life to a creature of terrible destruction, and he didn't want to think of the Zoras under the ice. He hoped they were alright.

Had Ganondorf really done all this? Had he really… caused this much _grief_? Even to his own people?

He fought the panic of the revelation down, sheathing his sword. Don't think on it. Not now. There were monsters to purge, and old women to torture and interrogate. "Should we split up?" Link asked, making Sheik scowl.

"Why?"

"Well," Link reasoned, "We split up in the Fire Temple, right? And that got us through pretty quickly. I mean the only reason that didn't work in the Water Temple was because I couldn't swim and in the last one I couldn't bloody see a thing. This place is literally colossal; let's split up, meet back here in half an hour or so and we'll figure out what to do next."

"And what if I see a block that I can't move without your gauntlets?"

"They're not mine, for one, I'm just using them till I have to give them to their exulted leader or whatever. But here. Take the right one. I'm injured on my left hand, so having that would be more advantageous for me. Sound fair?"

Sheik looked like he wanted to argue, but sighing he agreed, taking the gauntlet. "Meet back here in half an hour, like you said. Alright?"

"Yup. Good luck, Sheik."

"Good luck to you too, Navi."

They separated, Sheik going up the stairs whilst Link headed down to the bottom floor. Link went into some sort of random room before sighing, finally free from Sheik's scrutinizing gaze. It was nice to finally relax and enjoy the look of the Temple, explore it properly, really get to know it. His sisters had come here for their rites of passage; he liked to kid himself that this was his rite of passage, too.

Then Link frowned, and proceeded with solving the puzzle in the room. It wasn't as easy with the lack of the second gauntlet, but Link could finally use his left hand freely; a fact he revelled in.

He _had_ been worried that the wound would get infected in the Shadow Temple, but thankfully that had been avoided. Grinning, the prize of the puzzle revealed itself and retrieving the stash of arrows Link continued on. One more room, he thought, then he'd go back to the meeting point.

The door closed behind him, and locked itself. Then there was a hiss that forced a shiver down his spine, and a lizalfos revealed itself, except… it wasn't quite _right_.

For one it had three heads, wearing helms that looked like skulls, the eyes glowing purple in the darkness of the sockets. The necks, long and lithe, connected to a torso which was much more familiar in that it wore armour and had a weapon and no shield, but it had no legs, just a long fat tail it slithered on, leaving a thick trail behind it in the dusty sand of the Temple floor.

Another shiver, more violent than the last raked itself down Link's back. Why were there so many gods-damned _snakes_ here?

"Alright, creepy," Link growled, unsheathing his sword with his left hand, swinging the weapon to get used its weight and balance again, "Let's see how you like me in top form."

It roared as Link charged, swinging for its right-hand head, inviting it to block with its sword. It did, and Link shoved his shield into its left head and kicked viciously into the middle head with the heel of his spiked boot, making it squeal. It untangled its sword from Link's and he used that to slash across, cutting the middle head horizontally in half and he leapt away, grinning.

It squealed some more, the serpentine necks wriggling nauseatingly, but then the third bent down, and grew back its head, the broken helm sliding down its neck like a bone collar or necklace.

"Oh gods that is _so disgusting_."

He rolled away as the three mouths opened and spewed fire, its range longer and wider than an average lizalfos' because of its necks. Thankfully Link found a crate to duck behind and it burst into flames, which was okay because it wasn't him that was roasting.

So. He probably had to decapitate them all at once, which, with the fire and the sword would be gods damned _difficult. _But he could manage, he supposed, as long as he was willing to give that thing a spar of its life.

Link snarled a predator's grin and charged for the thing.

Its brain was used to fighting a right handed enemy, and Link always laughed at that advantage. He could block most attacks of its heads with his shield, his sword-arm fuelled by the power of the Silver Gauntlet. It was a clumsy partner, a perfect playmate to practice his out-of-practice hand. Soon he disarmed it. It gathered its heads together to give him a point-blank blast of its breath but that just nicely aligned them for a quick slash.

Link cut their heads in half in one stroke, then with the returning stroke cut their necks off at the shoulder. As the ice-cold black blood splattered over his gear and skin he kicked the body over and stabbed it three times in the chest, just to make sure it _die-die-died_.

His skin crawled at the cold splash of its inky body-fluid as he backed quickly away, sweat forming on his brow. But it exploded into a dark cloud of ash and sulphur, and he sighed in relief.

"Grandmothers?" Link called, sitting down in the dust, taking off his shield and strapping it on his back. He didn't get a reply, so he called again, pulling a cloth from his pocket to clean his sword, "Are you watching me?"

"_Grand_son," the voices giggled at once, and Link had to freeze his expression into stony indifference to avoid wincing. "How did you know?"

"Only family knows my hate for snakes," he replied, wiping the steel of his blade with exaggerated care, "Did you create this thing?"

"We did."

"Congratulations. You've outdone yourselves," he said, smiling, looking up at the ceiling, "Will you show yourselves to me, Grandmothers?"

He really hated calling them that, and they in turn hated to acknowledge him as family, but it was Ganondorf's orders that they like each other on the surface, so they did. But here they let their sarcasm drip, their sneers quite obviously displayed. Link had no such luxury; he kept his face expressionless so they wouldn't suspect his free will.

"So, _grandson_, what are you doing here?" The one with red streaks of fire fluttering in her hair asked, the smile more like an animal, baring its teeth at an enemy. She materialised slowly, from a mirage of smoke. "You were forbidden from entering here, were you not?"

"I'm following the Hero of Time, or one who considers himself so," the young man replied, bowing, straightening straight back up. "Ganondorf ordered me to gain his trust. So that is what I'm doing."

"Was Ganondorf aware that you will be here?" the one with blue stiff streaks of ice in her bun growled, steaming in the heat of the desert.

"He knows where I have been, since I report to him often. The Sheikah never tells me where we head next. Would you tell him now, then, or would you have me report to him myself?"

"We are not your messengers!" they snapped at the same time, which made Link's lip twitch in amusement.

"Fair enough." Link stood up and patted himself down, seething with hatred of these biddies. He wondered how quickly he could get at his bow and pin them to some wall, the ceiling, anywhere, maybe take one of them hostage and get the other one talking…

"You."

He shivered. Koume, the fiery one, talking so coldly was never a good sign. "Yes, Grandmother?"

"What is that you're wearing?"

He was genuinely puzzled at that question. "Just… just what my sisters gave me. Tsulen herself made this tunic, and the boots were Father's-"

"No, you stupid fool! That _Gauntlet_!"

Fear and pain pierced his mind and he shouted in agony as he clutched his head, the two glares pinning him where he was, locking his body like rigor-mortis. "Tell us!"

Link's whole existence screamed in the desire to obey, simply to make this discomfort stop.

But he said no. Link fisted his left hand, still encased in the Silver relic, and punched his gut with it. His instinctive reaction was to retch, and that overrode the magic of the mind. Link gave a guttural gasp of triumph, and glared with murder in his eyes. "_I knew it_."

They snarled and screamed and attacked him in the mind and he howled, falling to his knees, splinters of images and sensations stabbed him and confused the hell out of him. And he had a feeling that this was just something to distract him while they did something bigger, better, more nasty on his body, and the Silver Gauntlet clasped on his left hand was barely protecting him from the onslaught. He had to get this thing away from the Twin Rova, to Sheik, to warn him that he might not make the promised meeting time and place.

He saw a cave in his mind, and a Great Fairy giving him a gift that flashed green, and he and Navi had loved it and they had hopped and jumped through the Deku Tree, virtually flying and cleaning the Tree's innards completely out, honouring its death, the crystal's name ringing in his ears…

"_Furore's Wind_," he hissed, and the object flickered and swirled away, Link's vision going black as the relic's protection left him and landed at Sheik's feet.

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><p><strong>Dun, dun, duuuuuun.<strong>

**Guess who's been playing Skyward Sword? That monster totally came from there, but you know what? I just really really liked that git of a monster, even it was a hassle to BEAT.**

**Anyway, there it is, a more exciting chapter, and the next one might even be MORE exciting! Can't wait to post it!**

**Review replies!**

**_daimee: _I hope your exams are over by now! And thank you for keeping reading despite such a hectic schedule! I hope it gave you a little rest before going back to hard studies. And yeah, Sheik was totally sceptical about the whole thing, but what else could he have done? So he enjoyed it while he could. And as for the Cave of Ordeals in OOT, I didn't compete it. :P Too difficult, too time-consuming. I just fiugred it'd be awesome if Link did it in his free time. XD You're a better gamer than me for sure, for doing it. **

_**SuperninjaX: **_**You have no idea how tempted I was to add that. And some sort of reference to Mister Mushroom. But I couldn't think of how to do it, so yeah. Damn! Shame on me! I hope you enjoy this chapter too!**

_**Synneofthesun: **_** Thank you! I love detail, andi"m glad that it's come down well. :) Lol yay, it's awesome that the food sounded good, though I wasn't quite sure if the raw beef would've gone down well. Thank you very much for the encouragement, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny: **_** Damn! I was hoping to test my curse out, but oh well, as long as he's good for you that's great. Good luck with the relationship! :) And wow, so much praise! Thanks so much! I got my grades for my exams back, and they weren't too bad, thank goodness, so I can keep posting in good conscience! Thanks again! Hope you like this chapter too, and that I get to see your kind words again!**

_**darkwolflink1: **_**Lol! I know, and another cliffy too! This must be so frustrating. But I live for cliffies, they're just so fun to write. XD And I'll leave Link and Sheik's future relationship a secret for later. ;) I hope you keep enjoying and that you review again. See you soon!**

_**PatheticPenguin: **_**Yay! It's so amazing to be one of those favourite authors that you wait so excitedly for! Thank you so much! Hehehe, I HAVE pulled a few alnighters for the sake of writing, yes. ;) I hope you liked this too!**

_**Guest1**_**: Thank you for your congrats for my exams, and I hope you enjoyed this too! Here's your update! XD**

_**madlink007: **_**Woot! Yay! Thanks. :D**

_**Guest2: **_**And another one ANOTHER ONE ANOTHER ONE! So many cliffhangers! Lol. **

_**CatsGotTongue: **_**Lol thank you for being so excited for my story! Yeah, really sucks to be Link right now, back in the clutches of Rova. Oigh, that sucks for him. As for the guy who trained himself to see the truth, I think he was Sheikah. Anyway, here's this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it! XD**

_**Havoc's-Tears**_**: Damn, nearly 5a.m.? I totally know that feel, bro, lol. It was fun writing this part, too, so I hope you enjoy reading it. :P And trust me, those witches are going to get what's coming to them. **

**Thank you all, and I hope you review some more! **

**Toodles!**

**S.S.**


	15. Chapter 15

**So, I'm on holiday, looking for a job with nothing much else to do. Turns out this makes me feel like a bit of an attention whore, and desperately waiting for more reviews to come in. A little sad, I must admit. **

**So, how to clear this up? By updating!**

**So here is the most angsty, emotionally intense, depressing chapter ever. Here is the most horrible part of Link's life revealed. **

**Review replies at the bottom as usual, and enjoy. **

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>Chapter something<span>_**

Link knew this silence well.

It was almost nostalgic, this darkness, this utter detachment and impartiality. There wasn't a sense of loneliness or depression despite the general disinterest and heaviness that weighed on him, because of the odd comfort in knowing he would be told what to do; he would be of service, so what more could he ask for? He had a feeling that his body was moving without his volition, but he could have cared less. It was being of use to his masters, so whether it be torn to ribbons or burnt alive, it didn't matter. He didn't feel threatened, or agitated, nor was there any heightened stimulus that could derail him in any way possible.

He was in the abyss of pure apathy and content, aside from the noise in the back of what he supposed was his head. His drugged mind figured it was like a cicada, and it was beginning to manifest in his conscience as 'annoying'.

Should he ignore it? He wanted to. There was a foreboding somewhere in his gut that repelled him from it. He could always block it out, just, hide it. If it got worse he could block it up even more, and more and more, till it died or ceased to exist.

_But there's no guarantee it would be gone, would it?_

Link sought it out to destroy it, no matter the foreboding. He followed the cicada-like whingeing noise, till it slowly built up to a loud sob of a child, wailing and screaming and hiccupping all at once, and Link with a thrill of fear realised that it was his own voice, albeit quite young.

No. No. _No._ He was supposed to escape this, he was supposed to be free from it in this place, but it was there. The crack in the wall, the crack in his very _mind_ leaking with memories that he wasn't even sure were his.

There was a terribly strong urge to simply reject it and curl up in the ball, defy the grief and guilt and shame that would come with it. He'd had enough, he wanted nothing more to do with it. There had never been anything special about him, he should never have been involved in this strange fight between two royal powers.

_But here we are, Link, right in the middle of it._

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Link raged. Fine! Fine! He hated, loathed, feared the very idea of it, but he stood his ground and faced the memory so deeply scarred in his mind that no magic could erase it.

He was ten, maybe eleven. He was stuck in some dungeon and though he had scrapes and scabs ringing his wrists and he looked utterly worn out and starved, he was otherwise unscathed. Yet he was screaming and sobbing as if his heart was in the process of being torn out; in his hands were glowing embers of blue dust and tissue.

A pile that'd once been Navi.

A tall man stood before him, a man he'd eventually recognise as his own father.

"Each word, every silence, was yours. Do you understand, little forest boy?" he murmured, even as the boy clutched the torn pieces of his friend and advisor against his chest, shrieking in horror and agony. "Those words, and silences, led me to her pains. You could've helped her, simply by telling me where Zelda was. If, as you insisted, you didn't know… guesses. Ideas. Even lies would've helped her. But you spoke none of those. You didn't help her."

The scream of grief turned to apoplectic rage. The child turned into a beast of a creature, tearing at the chains that held him back, roaring like a banshee at the Desert King. He gave a great smirk as he dropped a sheath at the little boy's feet, holding a sword just right for his hands.

"You'll have a chance to redeem yourself, boy. One chance. _Now_."

And the chains evaporated. He rushed forward, never taking his eyes off the king even as he swiped the sheathed blade from the ground, tearing it out, not even realising that it was a dud.

Link remembered well the sheer _unfairness_ of it all. The blade had been literally an inch long and he should've gone for the face, not the heart. Did this giant monster even have a heart? How could it, when it had killed his one and only soul-mate?

His neck was fast under the grip of the madman. His kicks were feeble, and the man's grin was wide.

"Koume and Kotake will deal with you now."

And he'd been thrown against the wall, his head impacting so hard it cracked and bled, driving him into unconsciousness. He'd had nightmares of icy fingers and boiling hands, and when he woke up next, he barely even remembered his own name.

Then pain slashed at his back.

… … … … …

There was a brilliant haze of pink light, and from the halo someone called: "Navi!"

The Hylian dazedly rolled his eyes to where the voice came from, seeing a concerned Sheikah. "Hey."

"By the Goddesses, Navi, I'm so very sorry."

"I don't even-" He growled as a massive headache pulsed inside his skull, shaking his whole being.

Sheik caught Link's expression, and realising that the fairy had healed Link's back just fine he grabbed Link's shoulder and shook him. "What's wrong?"

"Gah!" Link hissed, grabbing his head as agony pounded his brain. "Sheik do the mind thing, seal it off, it… gah… hurts."

"That'll have to wait!" Sheik hissed back, unsheathing his long knife to face the remaining Iron Knuckle. "Can you stand?"

"G-give me a-" Link's mind gave a spasm as bits and pieces of the Hags' mind-spell knit themselves together to cage him in again, and the pain eased. He forgot what he'd remembered like a bad dream, and the urgency of the present reasserted itself.

Sheik was leading the Iron Knuckle away, so Link stumbled onto his fours and breathed, letting the pounding in the skull subside before he moved a little more. He wondered where his weapon was. He wouldn't be much help if he didn't even have a shield…

Where had he been, anyway? He saw that his hands were covered in metal plates, and there was a bracer still strapped to his left thigh. It looked exactly like the one on the Iron Knuckle.

So, he'd been under control, most likely as that Iron Knuckle. The question was who was under _that_ large deadly armour…

Link knew _exactly _who it was. "Nabooru!"

Sheik dodged the Iron Knuckle's giant axe by a hair's breadth. "What?"

"The Gerudo leader! She's got to be inside." Link staggered onto his feet and picked up a large rock and threw it straight at the metallic puppet. The _gong_ as it hit the helm was stupendous. "Try not to kill her!"

"What makes you think I spared your life on purpose?" Sheik snapped as he rolled away and hid behind a pillar as the Iron Knuckle slowly considered which blond to attack. "It's a _miracle_ that you only got a back-scratch from the blow I gave you when you were stuck in that armour!"

"Thanks, really," Link muttered as the Iron Knuckle containing Nabooru (it had to be Nabooru, it had to be…) faced him and began to rumble heavily closer. "I have armour like this at home, I know how it works! Give me one of your knives."

There was a flash of silver and Link grabbed the flying knife by the hilt, wincing at how close it had been aimed at his face. Axe shrieked as it cut air, and Link dodged to the side and then slit a few strings that ran up the side of the armour's leg. Its every second step now clanged like broken bells.

Another dodge, a few more nicks across strings that held the armour together. The torso, back, shoulder. The creature was steadily resembling a clattering tower on the edge of collapse.

Link invited the Iron Knuckle to give him the final blow, and it obliged. Link dodged, and with a thunderous thud the axe lodged itself into the ground. Maybe Sheik would've used that as a bridge to the helm, but Link knew he was nowhere near that graceful. So he ducked under it, grabbed the shaft, hauled his feet up in the wide arc and kicked it under the jaw. The helm went flying.

The whole thing fell apart, and Nabooru with red glowing eyes remained, fainting against the floor cluttered with cursed pieces of metal. "Nabooru!"

Link leapt next to her, Sheik calling congratulations as he joined them. Link shook her as Sheik warily stood guard, picking the knife he'd lent to Link from the ground. "Nabooru? Hey, are you alright? It's…" he really wanted to tell her that it was him, it was Link, he'd helped her. He'd done something good, after all this time. But Sheik's presence forced him to bottle it up, only quietly smile as Nabooru opened her eyes and looked at him with estranged, confused eyes.

"Kid…?"

She slowed, stopped, turned into stone and crumbled away. Link stared at the resulting pile, frozen to the spot in horror.

No. Not again.

Link spun, facing Sheik. "No."

Then they both spun when they heard a billowing of robes, two hideous witches hovering over the two young men, cackling gleefully. "The puppet's broken, Kotake."

"So it seems, Koume."

"Shall we break him up some more?"

"And put him back together, just right for the King."

"Perfect."

"Perfect."

Link snapped his eyes up and Sheik saw in them a rage that he wished to never to see again, one that made fear slice through to his core. Next thing he knew he was being knocked over and Link was a blur of desert red, roaring like an animal, blade flashing in his hand. Sheik saw the looks of surprise and horror on the crones' faces as Link slashed, chopping one witch's broom clean in half beneath her, slicing open the other's robe without shedding a single drop of blood.

Both screeched in outrage, as Sheik, collapsed on the ground, stared at the Hylian with utterly dumbstruck eyes.

He was holding the Master Sword.

Link was gasping like a bull as the two old women vanished in their respective puffs of coloured magic, hands shaking, back noticeably tense. Sheik stood without dusting himself off, staring just at Link's left hand, vaguely thinking that he'd thought the Hylian was right-handed.

He was holding the Master Sword.

Link twisted round to look at Sheik, his voice straining with forced patience, "Can we go now?"

Sheik looked from his hand to his face, quite unable to process it. After all this time… he'd been here.

"You're holding the Master Sword."

"What're you-oh." Link stared at the blade, gave it a quick flick, before vacantly offering it back. "I'm sorry. I know it's important to you."

Sheik's shock quickly flared to anger. He held himself back. Not now. Not now. Sheik told himself that now wasn't the time, not when it would give the enemy time to regroup.

"Thank you." Sheik took it back and sheathed it immediately, clipping it onto the belt at his hip. It seemed to hum in its blue and golden sheath, resonating power on a new level.

Sheik tempered his anger and fuelled his will to fight, the grip on his knives and long dagger much tighter than was necessary.

The metal armour that'd caged Link melted and turned into his equipment, and after gathering them all and making sure all was in good order, they burst into the next room.

… … … … …

Link gave them no mercy.

Link shot at them with his arrows, ripping their precious robes, spat ancient words from their precious heritage, making them know full well that he'd broken away from their precious magic. They grew angry at his insolence, at his indignant scorn and burning hatred. They targeted him with tenacity for it, quite eager to get their puppet back, and got into each other's way. Sheik shot them as well with respective magics, the reflecting shots of the spells form the Mirror Shield finding the witches in air spaces they dodged into, avoiding the Hylian's raging attacks.

They merged into a Warlock, looking a little like Nabooru and that low trick just made him utterly furious. The battle was a blur of red and blue magic, gleaming white at the edges because of the intense disparity of heat, cracking stones, bursting steam as the magic mixed. Sheik and Link worked well together, ferocities of different kinds and reasons spurring them on.

Twin Rova collapsed, green blood spilling from her where the Master Sword had pierced their combined form. Sheik had been going for the final blow, but he hesitated. They blasted him away for his wavering nerve, cackling, readying to stand up till they found a sword embedded in their chest.

Link had one foot on one of their shoulders, the other on the stomach. He spoke in the ancient language of the Gerudo, one that'd taken all the years under Ganon's tutelage to make him even coherent.

But they understood him almost too well as he hissed; "_That was for what you did to me_."

He twisted the blade. Blood gurgled up from their parted lips. "_That is for Nabooru._"

He yanked the sword out little by little, jerking it, twisting it, mangling the wound with each and every word: "_And. This. Is. For. Navi. You. Sick. Carrion. Feeding. Meat-bags._"

Their blood followed the arc of his sword like a roping fountain, the body of the Witch(es) falling back on their knees, decimating into black ash and smoke and sulphurous sparks. And from the smoke two forms emerged, their eyes bulbous with rage.

Link watched them rage, squabble, slowly lose what remaining power they had in this world, and as they departed so did the spell in his mind. The cracks in the lock fractured and expanded and exploded and Link cried out as he clutched his head, dropping to his knees.

He remembered. He remembered. He remembered how Navi died, how they had tortured them both, how the two witches had wiped his mind in the attempt to kill him, how he'd survived with freakish tenacity. How the man that had killed his soul mate had become his father.

Link braced himself against the ground and threw up.

Sheik jumped to his side, stunned. Link retched and regurgitated the contents of his stomach again, one hand supporting his weight, the other gripping his head.

First he'd mangled her wings. Left wing first, right wing second. Slowly. Methodically. Over days.

Sheik pressed a hand on his back, finding that he was shivering. "Navi?"

He'd made Link listen to her screaming. He'd gotten the occasional beating, but once Ganondorf realised that Link had talked more when Navi was hurt, he'd concentrated on the fairy and left the boy without food, just water, letting him waste away. Then the feasts arrived.

Sheik grazed a finger across Link's temple before jerking away; his mind was like a storm.

The food came only when he tortured her, and left with him. Link had resisted at first, the sound of Navi's weeping staying his hunger. But soon his instincts to live worked against him, and he was eating even as he heard Navi's final little bit of beautiful wing was crumpled, shame and guilt and self-disgust burning in his gut with his meal.

The red-eyed youth gritted his teeth and pulled Link's arm over his shoulders, dragging him to the closest wall. He leaned him against it once sitting him down, checking Link's suddenly fiery pulse, the sweat that beaded his forehead. It was like the youth was having some sort of attack. The muscles on Link's neck knotted so tightly that he let forth a scream, clawing at his head.

Then Ganondorf had cupped her in his hands, and bathed her in black magic. By day three of that particular ordeal she didn't even have the energy to scream. Link was doing it for her, till he was coughing blood.

Sheik was calling his name. It was merging with his own voice in his mind, desperately calling his fairy.

He'd let her heal, only to let her realise that she couldn't fly anymore, not without a miracle.

He let her convince her little charge to not beg for said miracle. Navi had told Link over, and over, and over again to not give up. Zelda was coming. Ganondorf wasn't worth giving up to. Do not, she ordered, blame yourself.

He tried. He tried so very hard. He did as told by her, even if it killed him inside to refuse Navi the freedom to fly again. Had she known? Had she realised what was to come next? Even as Link watched the man pick up what was left of Navi, he'd snapped. He had screamed and begged and pleaded with the tall monster from the desert, but still Navi had been dropped in a bottle full of nails.

Link hadn't been able to look away, as Ganondorf casually shook the bottle, and in consequence its contents. She was shredded in mere seconds, and as the glowing pieces were tossed at him, as he caught as much as he could as if connecting her together would bring her back, what was left of his sanity crumbled.

And as the little boy in his mind lost his nerve, the present man forced himself to regain it. He was still crying, still desperately aching at the reality, the betrayal, the horror of his very existence and his blind, blind loyalty to the man that could no longer be his kin no matter what they'd done for each other, no matter what the Gerudo man had done for him.

Everything had been built on a foundation of fairy-blood. Nothing mattered anymore.

"I'm…" Link coughed and gagged, then regained his posture. "I'm alright. Sorry, I… killing old grannies is a new experience for me. Not to mention they'd messed with my head earlier. I… I'm pretty sure the last of the spell broke."

"Good. That's… that's good."

"I usually never have mental breakdowns," Link chuckled, spitting the taste of bile from his mouth, wiping his teeth with his tongue. "Sorry."

"It's fine. As… as long as you're alright."

"Let's, let's go meet the Sage, yeah?" Link coughed, wobbling up to stand, leaning on his knees, "I think I deserve to meet whoever this one is. Yay."

He had a suspicion on who it would be, anyway.

… … … … …

Link found himself standing in a dark place, on a pedestal that was ringed with bright symbols, some of which he recognised from the panels in front of Temples. On the one he was staring at, the orange symbol of Spirit, was Nabooru. Link glanced to his side, not seeing Sheik there, and he frowned.

"Where's Sheik?"

"Eh. I'm making him wait." The Gerudo shrugged, flashing white teeth in a gleeful grin, "He doesn't know, though. You're in my realm, and I control everything. Including your perceptions."

Link couldn't but help a wry grin. "How does it feel to be on that side of the puppet string, for once?"

She contemplated it, cocking her hip to the side, folding her arms in front of her. "A little weird. Sick. Makes you understand why they got so addicted to the power." She paused, ran her fingers through her long hair, and said, "Do you remember me?"

He gave her a tremulous smile. "Yes. And I don't hate you."

"What else do you remember?"

"Oh, you know…" he tried to be easy-going about it, but a road materialized out of the darkness and Nabooru was coming towards him. He'd raised his hand to wave the horror off, but it was shaking, even when he fisted it, and his smile shook and the illusion broke as his tears ran down his face. "_Everything_. Nabooru, I remember everything I, I know w-what happened to her, my Navi, s-she, she oh _goddesses_…"

"Oh kid," she murmured, holding him, pressing his head down against her shoulder. Her arms were still like sticks. He smelt cinnamon on her. "You're _seventeen_. Do you know how young that is? You're _seventeen._ You're a kid. You can cry. _You are allowed to cry_."

Link's heart broke. Link's knees buckled under the weight of his guilt and grief and agony, and he howled. He wailed and sobbed and cursed as he curled up into a ball, and Nabooru rubbed his back and held him as close as she could, a small comfort in the midst of storming pain.

His Navi was dead. His Father was dead to him. His past was a mountain of corpses, and he was buried neck deep in it.

… … … … …

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><p><strong>So yeeeaaaah, please don't kill me. <strong>

**This chapter was meant to be longer, but after revising through the future chapters (I've actually got the story written out already, end and all) I figured that this would be a better place to stop, so I can cut and tear at the chapters in different places to get all the epic into one place. **

**I have a feeling that you guys are going to LOVE IT. Well, at least I enjoyed writing it. **

**Anyway, review replies. **

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny: **_**Yup, I was like, you know what, since in this Link hates snakes I'll just add a snakey-ass snake thing that would be perfect from Skyward Sword. :P As for Furor's wind, you're absolutely correct; technically, from the game, you can't do what Link did with the glove, but I went for creative licencing and shoved that into the story. Or else it sort of wouldn't have made sense, at least for the placing of the Silver Gauntlets. Anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and I look forward to your review!**

_**SuperninjaX**_**: Now how about THAT for intense? BAM! Poor Link, minding his own business and DAMN, this happens. **

_**madlink007**_**: Thank you! He's going to be angry for a while, now, but then he'll be a funny, I think. Or I'll try to make him be, anyway. :) **

_**CatsGotTongue:**_** And this chapter came even quicker! Woot! This may not have been so enjoybale to read, considering the content, but hey, it came, and it's only to get better from here. XD I love those jinxing tricks eh, I do it with my brother all the time. Though to avoid the walking we just say it once eahc and hope we've cancelled each other out. Superstitions are really fun, eh. I know! Skyward Sword was so difficult! Espeically with the lag of the remote. Arrrgh. And I wish I were you, I just kept dying so many times in both games, I learnt to stock pink fairies all the time. And there will be more of Nabooru, I promise. I admit, perhaps not as much as you'd like, but still. She gets more attention than all the other Sages, so forgive me? ;) Hope ou enjoye the chapter. **

_**Darkwolflink1**_**: Oh yeah, Twin Rova are as-hats all round, but at least they're dead ass-hats. XD I just couldn't resist the Hydra from skyward sword, it would have totally freaked this Link out. Oh, and the thing that happens between Link and Sheik will be coming later. It's coming, and it's going to be GLORIOUS. Bwahahaha. I hope I kept your attention even through the horrible bits, and that you keep coming back for the future chapters!**

_**daimee: **_**Congrats on officially finishing exams, now, ****daimee! And yes, it's so much easier to beat that thing in writing rather than in the game. Thanks for the excitement! Oh, when Sheik finds out Link's connections... bwahahahahaa. **

_**SynneoftheSun:**_** But I like spoiling you guys, I get spoiled back by praises and reviews! It's great. XD I'm not sure many people liked this chapter's particular direction, but hey, this was planned from the start. I hope despite the fact that it was pretty dark that it still brightened your day. :)**

_**Havoc's Tears**_**: And even FASTER updating! And you were like, review 11 or something and I hardly ever get much more than that, so, meh, it seemed like a good time to update. Thanks for the praise, as usual, it's always appreciated. Well, at least they had a death they deserved, huh? Thanks again for your review, and though there isnt much of a hangover this time, hey, there's still a lot of epicness coming your way. **

_**Guest**_**: Hehehe, I hope the intenseness was overwhelmed by this chapter, because yeah. It's just so much more intense. And as for the evilness of Twin Rova and Ganondorf, now you know. I got a really touching review about how my descriptions reminded a reader about a real desert, so I had to try and make it as real as possible. I'm glad the Great feary so far has been a hit. XD Thanks for the review, and I hope to see you again!**


	16. Chapter 16

**So yeeah, I still have no job, still have nothing to do, it's been five days since I've updated and since I got a lot more reviews than expected... why not update? XD**

**Ooh, I found this a little funny about the reviews, concerning the torture scene in 15: that nobody went 'How could you!? How could you do that!? Or even think it up, man, dude, you're totally messed up in the head!" or something. Although it's nice that I'd affected so many people and made them very sympathetic towards Lnk and poor Navi and all that, but yeah, I thought it was interesting. **

**So here it is, chapter 16. Unfortunately there isn't much action involved, but I think it's important to have intermissions like this before getting into the really gritty stuff, so here it is!**

* * *

><p><strong>Although, actually, Link <em>is<em> a bit of a cruel badass in the middle of the chapter with Sheik... I hope you enjoy. **

**Review replies are as per usual at the bottom, so...**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Yup, next chapter<strong>_

For a long time he cried, till he was so drained of strength that he leaned against her as they sat side by side. "What am I going to do?" he whispered, sniffing.

"What do you want to do?" Nabooru replied, rubbing his back.

"I don't… how should I know? I've been trapped in my head for years. Considering that I haven't been allowed to think for myself for most of my life, I don't think I'm qualified to be a thinker at this moment and time. I _think_."

"Nice touch of sarcasm, but kind of unhelpful." She replied, giving a wry smirk. "Come on. Start small. What do you want."

"A hug."

"There." Nabooru gave him one, a lingering press of her arms around his back. "Now what?"

Link hesitated. He swallowed his sudden fear and croaked, "I want to talk to my sisters. I want to know if they actually… if they think of me as their brother."

"They do, you know."

"No, no I _don't_." Link snapped, standing up. "This mind thing, this thing that Fa... what _Ganondorf_ and those hags did to me, they warped my perception of _everything_. Do I care about them of my own free will? Do they care about me because of their father, because I was his little test subject, or do they love me for _me_? What if, after all this time, they just feared me, or they were just humouring me? How can I be sure of _anything_!?" he gave a scream of frustration, unsheathing his sword, stabbing the ground with it. Anger boiled in his gut. "I want him _dead_. I want him dead by my hands. I want him to know that his little puppet _remembers_ and that he is going to _pay_ for it!"

"But then what happens to the Gerudo?"

Link spun round and glared at her. "What?"

Nabooru was standing too, her hands on her hips, looking grave and stern. "You know now, objectively, what he's done to Hyrule. What he's done to his own people. He made our lives easier, yes, but at the cost of our name. For generations the Gerudo will not only be known as thieves but murderers and King-killers. Once you kill Ganondorf, and even though I wholly approve of the idea on the grounds of revenge, I can't say it's the best idea in terms of the future of the people."

"So I let him live?" Link demanded, striding towards her, "I let him go for what he's done to me?"

"No. I'm saying we get everyone involved." She said, raising her hands in a placating gesture. "Tell Aveil to lead a march to Castle Town. Have the girls send eagles to every town in Hyrule, declaring the King dead to us, that he is no longer one of ours. We have the Hero of Time with us now. We can stand to rebel."

Link barked with black mirth. "Well good luck with that, considering Sheik doesn't believe he's the Hero of Time. He's just a _replacement_, because they can't find the real one."

"He wields the Master Sword, and that's good enough by me." Nabooru shrugged, unconcerned. "The fact of the matter is, once you dispose of Ganon, we're going to be the underdogs again and we're going to have to curry a lot of favour from everyone. But," she added, staring him in the eyes, "You're a free man now. I'm not telling you to do anything, but I _am_ asking you to deliver this message for me to Aveil, as a favour from a friend, to a friend. Please. Your revenge is yours."

"Good." Link spat, taking the sword from the ground and sheathing it with a venomous hiss. "You can call in Sheik now. I want to go."

"Alright, then," Nabooru sighed, gesturing at the podium. "I'm going to my post, you better stand there, from before. And look cheerful for meeting such a sexy Sage."

Link snorted in what he hoped sounded like derision, though he was amused. "How old _are_ you?"

"Forever twenty now," she teased, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Wait. Wait." a sudden realisation caught him unawares, terrifying him a little. "Will I ever see you again? Now that… that you're a Sage?"

"I don't know, to be honest," she replied, her smile a little sad. "So just in case we don't, I'll say this now: you've grown into one fine young man, Link. Look after yourself. And be proud of who you are."

Link snorted again. "After all this?"

"Yes. Even after all this. Be proud of who you are."

Link shrugged, shaking his head. "Just… just call Sheik."

She did. Sheik bowed to her, Nabooru teased him half-heartedly and thanked them both for freeing her from the Rovas' spell. Sheik told her it was nothing, that she should thank the Princess for having sent them.

"I will," Nabooru replied, which irked Link a little. The Princess had nothing to do with this. The Gerudo, especially Nabooru, didn't need to thank anyone for anything after all she'd been through and all she'd done.

Link stepped forward, pressed his knuckles of his left hand against his lips, touched them against his forehead and extended his hand out to her, palm up. He bowed as he did so, his right hand on his heart. The Gerudo sign for respect, reserved for ceremonies and rituals. There was no way Sheik would know of it, or just how deep the meaning was.

The Salute for the Queen.

"It was an honour to meet you, and fight for you. I hope we can meet again, even if it's just to share how weird it was to have our minds taken over."

She pressed her hand against her chest, looking touched. "Thank you. What was your name again?"

"Navi," Link said, winking, "Just a ball of insanity that follows the Hero everywhere."

Sheik glowered at Link for that.

… … … … …

They emerged back into the glaring sun and the glassy terrain of the desert, and after the shady insides of the Temple Link was almost blinded by it. But it was good to be back in familiar heat, after the silent chill of the blank Sage's area thing. There was a soft thud of something hitting the sand, and when Link looked down it was the Master Sword, and Sheik had tossed it at his feet. "Take it."

Link squinted at Sheik in the blazing sunlight and said, "Huh?"

"Don't insult me. Just take it."

"Sheik, you're not making any-" He took two brisk steps towards Link, threw one arm back, and punched him square in the face. Link staggered back, cradled his burning cheek and ringing jaw before glowering at the Sheikah. "_Ow_."

"Where have you _been_ all this time?" Sheik hissed, fists shaking as if tempted to have another go at the paler young man, "Where have you _been_!?"

"What're you-"

"Was this a game to you? Was this some sick _joke_? Leading me on for all this time, laughing at me behind my back!"

If it weren't for the previous outraged question Link would've suspected that Sheik had figured out who he (no, he corrected himself, who he once) really worked for. "Ex_cuse_ me?"

"Oh my goddesses," Sheik shakily laughed, pressing a hand against his forehead, "You really don't know, or remember, or _something, _do you?"

"Sheik, what are you-"

"Look at what it's done to me!" Sheik jerked off the bandages that wrapped his right hand, showing him a palm peppered with ugly blisters, blood seeping from cracked cuticles. "It doesn't want to be wielded by me, because I'm not the Hero of Time. It tolerates me because I'm the closest to you it had, but it made sure I knew my place. It made sure I was just a _guide_. Did it hurt _you_, when you used it to on those witches? "

Link stared at him, then at the sword. "I… I don't think it did but-"

"Exactly, _Link._ Or should I say Hero of Time?"

Link paled, taking a step back. "How did you know my…?"

"Zelda told me all about you. Now answer my question: _where in gods' name have you been?_"

… … … … …

Of course Link hadn't answered, saying that he hadn't known, that he'd never had a clue that he was the Hero of Time. He had a weird background, true, but that was it, he'd had no memory of his youth for a very long time anyway, it was only recently coming back, like Navi. Sheik was still fuming, would not be placated.

The journey back was awkward at best, infuriating at the worst. Sheik had insisted that they go straight to the Temple of Time, but Link had shot that down immediately. The Gerudo had been worried about their leader, and they deserved to know where Nabooru had gone, what had become of her. Besides, the Gauntlets were not randomly found from the Temple; it needed to be returned if those women didn't want the two of them using such powerful tools. So Sheik had to agree to that, but soon as things were sorted, they were to go to the Temple of Time.

Link tried to enjoy the desert on the way home, but he found it hard to even call it home, much less enjoy the idea of going back. He knew now. He knew _everything_. And it made his very soul ache and smart and weep.

But Nabooru had asked him to be a messenger, and he was happy to do this, just for her.

Link savagely revelled in the idea that Ganondorf's people would rebel against him. He hoped they would burn. _All of them_.

_Link_, he heard, or thought he heard, _Hatred isn't the way forward._

"You're dead, Navi," Link whispered hoarsely at the Haunted Wasteland, "Please, I'm letting you go. Let me go too. I'm beyond helping, anyway."

He got no reply.

They reached the Gerudo stronghold in one piece, though dehydrated to the point of collapsing. They were given adequate shelter and Link whispered Nabooru's message to Aveil as he was given water, and there was a grave nod from her.

"Are you with us?"

There was steel in his eyes as he said, "I'm not with you, but I _will_ have Ganondorf's head."

If that turn of opinion startled her, she didn't show it. She just nodded again, and wished him luck.

They stayed the night, since they'd arrived back at sundown, and it gave Sheik's message from a Gossip Stone enough time to reach Zelda. Link slept fitfully, and Sheik wasn't any better, he figured. In the morning they left the fortress amicably enough, and at Sheik's terse command Link took hold of Sheik's arm and they teleported to the Temple of Time.

Zelda was meant to be waiting for them.

Link took a deep breath as he followed Sheik from the mark of Light; he wondered briefly if Ganondorf knew that they were there. He could imagine clouds of Keese swarming in the dark ceiling of the temple, giving Ganondorf a means to watch the reunion between the two warriors and the Princess.

It occurred to him, vaguely, that the King might not be able to do that because of the death of Kotake and Koume, but then, Link somehow doubted that Ganon would have let the sisters' magic to be exclusive in its nature. The King would have learnt from them for sure.

Zelda met them at the altar where the Spiritual Stones had been placed, looking confused at Sheik's stormy expression and Link's tense manner. "Sheik, you said you found the Hero of Time?"

"Yes, I did. You've met him, too." Sheik indicated that Link should come forward, so he did, though reluctantly. He was stared at. She walked up to him, looking puzzled, disbelieving, but then she gasped. He hands flew to her mouth, and her eyes welled with tears.

"By the Goddesses above. Link?"

Link couldn't help the smirk. "You remember my name."

"What happened to you? What… what happened to your fairy?"

"Fairy?" Link replied, shrugging, treading on thin ice, "I think you exaggerate my image, Zelda. I didn't have a fairy."

She looked even more confused, but nodded regardless. Sheik no doubt caught the lie. "Perhaps. It's just… you look so different. I thought you would be wearing green, at least."

He snorted. "Seven years is a long time, Princess."

She blushed and looked down, folding her hands. "I'm sorry I didn't recognise you at first."

"Well, I didn't remember you either, so I'd say it's fair. Now," Link narrowed his eyes, aware that he was running out of time, "What is it that you need from me?"

"You must know of the source of Ganondorf's power, first," She said, and she and Sheik explained the Legend of the Triforce Part Two, so to speak, and Link's heart slowly slid to the acids of his stomach as he listened, horrified.

Ganondorf had a piece of the Triforce.

Link wanted to lunge and _kill_ her for her _stupidity_. Ganondorf, when he had conquered Hyrule, had been a _man_. A _man_ that had wanted nothing but a bit of glory, water for his people, prosperity for the future; not a monster as Zelda had dreamt as a child. But the Triforce had changed that. Maybe he had kept his sanity at first, but absolute power corrupts absolutely, and even a great man like Ganondorf would eventually succumb to it.

This story changed everything. _Everything_.

"Do you understand our situation, now, Link?"

The Hylian nodded, swallowing his bile. He tapped the trigger-stone in one of his pouches, informing Ganondorf where they were, the move fuelled by spite and disgust. "More than you imagine."

Sheik sensed something in his words but Zelda went on obliviously, teaching him the spell of Light Arrows and going on about how she would lead the soldiers into Castletown…

"Princess," Sheik pointed out midway of her instructions, "You've forgotten the last part of the Legend. The last two pieces of the Triforce."

"Oh, yes, of course. You see, when the Triforce split, I as Princess was gifted the Triforce of Wisdom. I admit that I haven't quite lived up to its title, but you, Link…"

The Temple began to rumble.

Link sighed as Sheik and Zelda stared around in horror, exclaiming something about escape and it was impossible that Ganondorf knew their hiding-place and Link, they must hurry…

Link whipped out his sword and lunged for Zelda's throat.

She gave a shriek of fear and surprise even as Sheik pushed her back and parried the blow with his own knives, rage flashing in his red orbs. Link laughed pleasantly as the Temple's very foundations rocked with the sudden burst of Ganondorf's magic, tearing at the windows, the shards rocketing towards Zelda.

They encircled and trapped her in a crystalline prison, and no matter what she did she couldn't break free. Sheik was battling Link, and was unable to help her. "Zelda! _Zelda_!"

"Don't get too distracted, Sheik," Link admonished as he side-swiped and followed up with a stab, laughing delightedly as Sheik batted his blade away with the knives. "I've always wanted to spar you properly, you know. I'd like your attention."

"What are you _doing_?" he bellowed in utter frustration, even as Zelda was taken away in a burst of light.

"I'm just doing what I've been doing this whole time. Keeping an eye on you."

"What? _What?_"

"You never got a proper look at my sword have you? My Dragon's Tooth. My _Dragmire Saabreth_."

Sheik almost flinched at the name. "Dragmire?"

Link angled the blade just so, and the visible red eye widened at the engraving on the blade, the Dragon trampling a phoenix, the Triforce clamped in its jaws. "No. No it _can't_ be."

"You have no idea how many times I was worried you'd seen it, but you were so busy looking for the Hero of Time I guess you didn't think an enemy was so near. Oh, well," Link shrugged and laughed at his betrayed face. "Now that I have the Master Sword, can I have the Ocarina please? You stole it from my father a few weeks back. He was very disgruntled when he found it was gone."

Sheik was shivering, betrayed by his own power of seeing through lies. The grip on his knife tightened, his hand shaking so badly that he nearly let it clatter to the floor. "Your father?"

"Oh, come on now, can't you guess?" Link taunted, stabbing forth, unsheathing the Master Sword to fight with duel blades, letting the Gerudo teachings in the art of swordplay flow through in his attack on the Sheikah. Unlike the women in the desert Link was going for the kill, and he was far, far stronger than any of them, courtesy of the gender he was born in. Sheik was struggling to hold him off, still hindered by his shock and confusion.

They tangled, untangled, lunging back and surveying each other, the full reality of it dawning in the red eyes, the suspicions of the early days manifesting themselves in his mind.

"I'll just introduce myself properly, then," Link shrugged, even as he felt a pair of Stalfos and Iron Knuckles line themselves up behind him, leaving no room for escape, "My name is Link Dragmire, son of Ganondorf, Brother to the Desert People, Prince of Hyrule and the Western Territories. You've been working with two lots of royalty. Doesn't that make you feel proud?" He chuckled and extended his hand to him. "Now give me the Ocarina."

Sheik roared. He charged straight for Link's smiling form, rage and murder in every flex of his muscle, in the very gleam of his eye. Link, a flash of curiosity hitting him, dropped his two swords and grabbed his bow, notched it, recalled the Light Arrow and shot it at Sheik's face.

He countered the light with his shadow magic and knocked the arrow out of its flight path. But by the time he'd done this Link was right in front of him, driving the pommel of his Dragon's Tooth right into the Sheikah's gut, and he blacked out, despite his murderous struggle to stay awake.

He slumped. The grip on Link's shoulder, hard enough to bruise, slipped, and Link dropped him to the temple floor. He kicked him, twice, out of spite.

"Take him," Link told his company dispassionately, and they obeyed.

… … … … …

Link stood there for a moment, eyeing the pedestal where the Spiritual Stones had been. He strolled towards it, remembering properly now, the insides of the Deku Tree, the innards of the Dodongo's caverns, the literal bowels of the Zoras' deity. Saria, Darunia, Ruto. Ruto's memory was worth laughing at, a little, now. She had been one obstinate little girl.

He wondered where the stones were. Had they melted into the power that opened the Door of Time? He supposed that it didn't matter, but still. He only vaguely remembered that bit, but he hoped that wasn't the case. It's just, they'd taken a lot of effort to collect. For all he knew, those stones would have protected them from harm from Ganon, if only by a little bit.

He had done so much _wrong_ over these last seven years…

Sighing, he stared at the wall behind the jet altar, knelt there, and offered the sword he held to the deities behind it. "I don't care who, what, where, or how you are. But for what Zelda has put me through, I will _end_ her. I promise you this, and I promise _myself_."

That was mostly for show, but quietly, in his heart, where no spy could hear him he fiercely swore,

_And I promise myself that I will tear my father's throat out for killing my soul mate._

… … … … …

If he was going to do what he wanted to do, he was going to need approval.

A part of him told him that he had no need for approval, not this, considering there was a high chance that his request would be rejected with an attempt on his life. But he shook his head, knocked on the door, and entered his room.

A shiver of terrible nervousness crossed his heart, as his sisters looked at him from their respective perches. Suddenly the Gerudo garb he was wearing seemed alien, out of place, as if the clothes he'd been donning for years no longer belonged to him or was meant for him. Somehow, they all looked angry, or distraught, or something. They were trying to hide it, but they weren't being so successful; he wondered if they knew that his mind was now free of Ganondorf, that they feared retribution from him.

"Um…" he was fidgeting. He fisted his hands to stop himself from doing it and cleared his throat. "Where's Mika? I, I called her, too."

"_You_ called us?" was Alita's growl, and Link instinctively apologized.

"Sorry."

"Alita," Tarrimb murmured, as Tsulen looked away, "Don't."

He didn't know where to begin; he chewed the inside of his mouth, looking from one sister to the other, wanting to tell them about his memories, Navi, his adventures, Sheik and Zelda and the Lake, and…

Something had to be wrong.

"What's wrong?" Link asked out loud, to himself and them. They flinched. "What's wrong?" He could almost _see _the anger building in Tsulen, Alita was facing away and her shoulders were shaking, and Tarrimb was staring at him as if he was dangerous and he blurted out without thinking; "_Where's_ _Mika_?"

Tsulen would've lopped his head off (or he hers out of instinct) right then and there if her twin hadn't stopped her. Tarrimb's blade clashed with the manic girl's and her voice was sharp. "Len, _don't you dare_!"

The slim woman's golden eyes streamed with tears, her bared teeth damming back the high-pitched screech of pure grief. Link stumbled back and hit the wall, his heart hammering as his instinct screamed, reminding him of how the prettiest of them all had been at the other end of his communications once, when only Ganondorf was meant to have access. How she'd been _Nabooru's favourite pupil_.

"Oh Goddess." He whispered, his whole body shaking, "Ganondorf killed her, didn't he."

"As if you didn't _know_!" Tsulen wailed, collapsing onto the floor. "As if you had nothing to do with it!"

"That's not true! That's not…"

"Don't lie to us, don't lie to us-"

"Enough!" Alita snapped, turning round to face them and her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen. "This is Link, for heaven's sake, _Link_! Look at him, Tsulen, _look at him_."

They did, all of them, and they saw him gripping his hair, hiding his face with his arms and he was trembling with sorrow, weeping as he processed the very idea that his sister, that _any_ of his sisters would think he would be even _capable_ of… of…

He couldn't help but laugh as he let his head go, strength seeping from his body so quickly that he could barely keep himself standing. "Am I… am… I, I know I've been a monster b-but, but I didn't know… I swear I… I'd never _never_ hurt I never… I wouldn't have even if he… Mika's really…?"

"Oh Link," a sabre clattered to the floor as Tarrimb threw it away to hold him, and her voice croaked as if she were drowning, "Shush, love, we know. We know what the Rova Twins did to you. We thought that'd stopped when Alita left us in the desert, remember? When you talked to me about it, but…"

Alita was cradling Tsulen as she bawled, the little sister that'd been closest to the dead girl. "Tarrimb, I don't mean to make this even worse for us, but we don't… we don't know whether he's still…"

Link burst out in a fit of giggles that sounded hysterical. "Don't worry. I killed them. They're not going to mess with anyone anymore."

Tarrimb let him go, taking hesitant steps back as all three of his sisters stared at him with varying degrees of shock and awe and disbelief. He opened his mouth, and words spilled out; about the mission, of his memories, Sheik, Zelda, the Gerudo Crystals and blocks scattered all over the temples. He told them of the Master Sword, and how he might be the Hero of Time.

"This means I have to stop Ganondorf," he murmured, imploring them for an answer. "I have to stop… father. What do I do? With Mika gone, I… I… but I still can't justify, he's, he's, he's still father isn't he? Is he? I mean I know that keeping monsters, haha, why did I ever think keeping monsters around the castle was _normal_? I…" he made himself stop, made himself breathe, and asked, quietly, trembling, "Would it be right if I did that to you?"

They all looked at each other, Tsulen still hiccupping on her sorrow, but they all shook their heads and Tarrimb held him close again. "That man stopped being our father a long time ago. We only stayed in the Castle because of you, we thought… we thought we'd never have you back…"

"Mika and I," Alita murmured, helping Tsulen up, "We working with Nabooru and Aveil a lot. We were the ones putting those crystals into the Temples these last few years, I… I should be the one who… Mika only got caught because I just got back from the desert…"

"I'm sorry I said that to you Link," Tsulen blubbered, trying to stand up to hug him too, "I just couldn't stand the thought that he'd use you to do it, it was so horrible, the idea, I'm sorry I'm so sorry,"

And they got together and wept. Even as Link mourned for another sister-figure lost he basked in the affection and loyalty of his sisters, filled with relief.

... ... ... ... ...

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><p><strong>THE COUNTER-ATTACK STARTS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! SO MUCH EPIC LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE!<strong>

**D'aaw, sibling-love. You gotta hand it to them, eh. XD**

**Carrying on: REVIEW REPLIES.**

_**CatsGotTongue:**_** Du****de, you have no idea how gratifying it is to know that I got someone who'd not accustomed to it to swear like a sailor. Apology unnecessary, and sentiment gladly accepted. XD I do admit I felt terrible for doing that to Link, but hey, he's nuts. Completely bonkers. I do, however, must point out that Rova and Ganondorf didn't _want_ Link to love them and their family; it was completely out of the plan. That was whay they sent Link to the desert i the first place, to get him out of away and out of touch, but Link really liked the sisters and they sort of liked him back, and then Ganondorf got attached and the Rovas were furious becuase they couldn't experiment on him as much as they wanted to. They kept up the control, but no more digging for info in Link's brain thing. Anyway. Yeah, Link was always going to end up in that armour, I had that bit written out from like the very beginning. ANd thank you so much for your review, it always amazes me that someone can think so highly of my writing. Maybe I should go into original writing, lol, see if I can make a spot of money with it. ;) I hope you conitnue to enjoy this, and that you keep reviewing, too!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: Oh wow. Thanks! Glad I can pack all that emotion into one chapter, lol. Glad it turned out alright, then. Yeah, Link had a pretty nasty past (thankfully mostly forgotten, thank goodness) so it's for a fairly good reason that he's so screwy right now. As for the possibly (not) making your day with that cchapter, I assure you, the next few will be all good stuff. Much kick-assery guaranteed. Anyway, feel free to keep writing long reviews, because I retty much live for them. Thank you so much, and I hope to see your review again soon! :D**

_**daimee**_**: Well that's torture for you. :P And I know what you mean about grey endings, they're always cool, and more life-like because life DOES go on beyond the story... but I'm also a sucker for happy endings, so I don't know... what I'll probably end up doing is a mixture of both; it's happy, but it'll seem cut off at the wrong time or something. Now, as you saw in the chapter, yes. :) Link can think for himself properly now without heavy bias, and he basically remembers everything. Thank you so much for your praise, and I hope you liked this chapter too. **

_**SuperNinjaX**_**: And now there's a mental buildup! Woot! Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!**

_**saka moon**_**: Thank you! You have no idea how long it took to figure out how to make Link remember, but with the reactions I've been getting it's totally been worth it! I hope the five-day wait wasn't too long. :P Enjoy the rest!**

_**LEva114: **_**Wow. Such a vivid response. Thank you so much! I'm glad that it worked out so well, and I hope you carry on reading and reviewing!**

_**synneofthesun**_**: You're amazing for getting that mistake. I was like, 'waaaat? No wai,' but then I checked and Sheik was like, "Link!" and I was like D8. So I fixed it. Thank you for the error check, it's embarrassing that I didn't notice it but I'm really glad you did. Carrying on, thank you so much for your praise and kind words, and that I hope you keep reading. Here's the anticiated update, and yeah. Enjoy!**

_**madlink007**_**: Oh yes, Link is going to do some serious ass-kicking. Or is he...? Stay tuned to find out! As for the castration, I have something far, far worse planned for the Lord of Darkness... Bwahahaha! **

_**TheAudienceofOne**_**: Yup, Link is definitely pissed, and Sheik's answers have mostly (if not all) been brutally answered! And I love Navi too, but it had to happen. Poor Link, poor Navi. Thank you so much for your praise, and wow, you reviewed from your cellphone? Not bad! Pretty long review from something so tiny. XD Thanks again, and have a nice day!**

_**Darkwolflink1**_**: Thank you for your praise as always! And yeah, the battle with Twin Rova was short, but I figured since I did a proper boss fight with Bongo Bongo, and the focus wasn't on the fight anyway, I'd leave it as is. Yeah, Link didn't know he'd been holding the Master Sword, and doesn't understand why it's such a big deal. And I'm glad you noticed the difference in writing! I thought, since Link's no longer trapped in his own head the narrative could spread out from his point of view. Thanks! So here's the update, I'm glad you enjoyed, and I look forward to seeing you again!**

_**PatheticPenguin**_**: I do admit that the chapter was a tad shorter than is normal, but I promise chapter 17 is going to be a long ride of awesome ass-kicking. Yeah, there should be more Sheik, and actually, there will be. XD Please stick around just a little longer, and all your wishes will come true! Thanks for the comliments, and I hope to see you in future reviews!**

_**Havoc's Tears**_**: Thank you! I'm glad you think the chapters are getting better, and I hope I don't disappoint that sentiment! Anyway, ding, dong, the witch is dead, the witch is dead, the witch is dead, XD I was so vindicitvely happy with that scene I had such a manic grin on my face as I typed it up. And as for the torture scene, I think I read far too many violent stuff, and I just make things worse with my imagination. Oh poor characters. Bless them and their endurance. There is going to be so much beating on Ganon it's going to be GREAT! **

_**HeroofTimes: **_**You know, I'm not so sure how Link got into that suit. He probably got his mind hijacked, was ordered to do it by the Witches and he walked into it and dressed himself up. And nah, he used Furore's wind to get the SIlver Gauntlet to Sheik, since he sort of gave up on saving himself. I know it's not meant for that kind of use, but... forgive me? I enjoy tweaking things. **

**So here, it is, and I hope you enjoyed it! **

**NOW LET THE REVIE-I mean, LET THE COUNTER-ATTACK BEGIN!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hmm, I have a feeling that I shouldn't have self-advertised so much. Now I'm terrified the rest of the story won't live up to your expectations. I mean, I suppose I could add stuff to what's already written, that's easily done, but still...**

**Extremely worried now. **

**Anyway, here's the next chapter, exciting bit part 1**

* * *

><p><strong>Enjoy!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>The Next Chapter<span>_**

They wiped their tears quickly and made a plan. Alita was to get her best warriors and surround the women that actively supported Ganondorf. Tsulen was to evacuate the terrified novices without attracting attention, and Tarrimb was to distract Ganondorf by accompanying Link with requests on further action, now that Zelda and Sheik were captured, before joining the evacuees.

Link was to steal the Master Sword and free Sheik and Zelda.

"This isn't going to be easy," he murmured to himself, but Tarrimb heard him anyway as they headed for his throne room. "I haven't made it any easier for us, either."

"Yeah, well, you shouldn't have let dear papa have the Princess then. _Why_ did you do that?"

"She's the reason why my Navi is dead. I saw red. If Ganon didn't have the Triforce of Power…" A shiver crossed his spine just thinking about the memory of the torture. "By Gods. Triforce of _Power_."

"We'll be fine," she whispered back as they reached Ganondorf's door. "We've managed this far without getting hurt, I think we can survive these last few steps."

He was tempted to say, "What about Mika?" but he bit his tongue and shut up as his sister knocked on the door and they opened, revealing Ganondorf smirking from his seat of power with Zelda's crystal floating next to him. Link froze, and decided that coming now would be a terrible, terrible idea. He didn't even know why, but his inner Navi was screaming at him to stay back, stay the _hell_ back.

"You go first," Link murmured, "Try to get Zelda out of here. I don't think I can act out the puppet with both of them around."

Tarrimb nodded, strode forward, bowed, and Ganondorf looked pleased and talked to her, properly _talked_ about how she was and how her duties were treating her and he could almost see the false face Tarrimb was wearing, hard, cold, dutiful, nothing more. It was like Ganondorf didn't know that his daughter knew of her sister's death, that it was still a secret he was willing to keep.

Tarrimb suggested Zelda be examined by Twin Rova and Ganondorf actually hesitated, saying that they were busy with other matters and mustn't be disturbed. Tarrimb grew more confident; she suggested that she try it out herself, as she had been working under the Twins with Tsulen for the past year. Link shivered at that; if he'd known that piece of info he would've made it a _goal_ to kill the old crones. He didn't like to think what those hags had put his precious twins through.

Ganondorf agreed, congratulating her for her initiative, and with a click of his fingers Zelda disappeared along with her cage. The King told his daughter to find her in his study, the topmost room of the tower, and Tarrimb thanked him and left. As she passed him Link brushed his fingertips against hers, a sign of his own congratulations. They figured it would be enough for now; she immediately ran off to look for Tsulen.

Link marched forward, placing a smirk on his face. He dropped to one knee, briefly tilted his head down, but shot it back up and smiled. "Are you pleased with me?"

Ganondorf burst out laughing, and Link shuddered at the sound. "Ah, my son of course. You did well, immensely well."

"It's a shame, where did you put the Flea?" he asked, looking around the vast room, "I'd hoped I could talk to her, see what she thought of me now, knowing that I worked for you."

"Now, now, a man doesn't gloat. Especially one of high-standing as you."

Link bowed his head again. "Yes, sir."

"Now, I don't remember calling you, Link. Why are you here?"

Link looked up again, feigning sheepishness. "Well you got me." He stood up and brushed his hands across his trousers before looking into Ganondorf's eyes. Eyes he'd once sought comfort in, eyes he'd once trusted. "I was… hoping you would let me wield the Master Sword."

Ganondorf's frown was sharp, all his humour gone. "Why?"

"I never got the chance. Sheik protected it with his life, and I couldn't even touch it as I travelled with him." Link scowled petulantly as Ganondorf's frown slowly eased. "I love the blade you gave me, and I will treasure it forever, but it's their so called legendary Master Sword. I'd like to see if it's up to par with my expectations."

He looked doubtful. Link could feel cold sweat seep through his palms, and in a last ditch effort Link knelt again, an image of loyalty. "Father," it burnt his insides to say it. "Father, I just want to test its edge against some stalfos, that's all. I'll return it when I've had my fun, and I'll do whatever task you have for me next; I just want to have some fun after such a long mission. Believe me when I say that the Sheikah was an utter bore."

Ganondorf looked fondly amused, and after a slow nod, agreed to Link's terms.

… … … … …

Link rushed down to the dungeons where Sheik had to be, wearing his helm, tunic, boots without the metal soles, the Master Sword strapped to his hip and the Dragon's Tooth across his back. He had with him the Mirror shield, and a couple of bottles of red potion and a Pink Fairy in case someone got to the guide before he did. He wondered who would be assigned the task of torturing him, now that Ganon didn't have the Twin Rova to do his dirty-work.

He suspected that Ganondorf would be heading to the Desert Colossus now, though he didn't know how. He'd go there, find out what'd happened to the Rovas, come back incensed, to a (hopefully) empty castle and Link would be the one to face him alone.

Well, alone with Sheik and Zelda would be preferable but he had doubts about those chances.

He went straight to the bottom-most cells, since it was faster to work his way up if Sheik wasn't there, though he couldn't think of any other place Ganondorf would put someone as dangerous and volatile as that youth. Because of its proximity to the lava flow the air here smelt of sulphur, and the walls and floors were uncomfortably hot. When he found him Link didn't envy the metal chains wrapped around his arms and legs, slowly blackening the material of his clothes. He looked dead. He would've suspected him dead, dangling from the wall like that, but his shoulders trembled with each breath, pain most-likely pulsing in him with each intake of air.

Link didn't know how to get his attention except, "Hey."

The prisoner stopped moving, but didn't look up.

Link sighed. "Ganondorf murdered his own daughter for betraying him. She was a sister to me."

Sheik flinched. Link wondered whether he could feel the agony and grief the sentence had invoked in the Hylian, how it reminded him of Navi and her untimely death. He pushed it down, however, to keep going, to do what his siblings had set in motion. "You sense the truth, but you don't believe me, do you."

"No."

"Shall I tell you how I tricked you? I bet it was the first time you were ever, ever tricked."

The rasping voice was sharp with hatred. "Quiet, traitor."

"It's simple, really. I just told half-truths, and pointless trivia. Termina is a fairy-tale, or a myth, I suppose, since it could exist. Saria told me about it so often as a kid I knew the details even when my mind was wiped. When you asked for my home, I didn't want to tell you, but was reminded of it, so after deciding not to tell you, I changed the topic to my needs. And Termina came out. Aside from that, I told the truth most of the time."

"Are you here just to gloat, or are you going to start cutting me for information soon?"

Link sighed again. It was only right that Sheik would assume that he was the one about to do the torturing. "I'm not here to gloat. Just telling you what to look out for when you and Zelda take back control."

For the first time Sheik looked up, eyes narrowed in confusion and suspicion. "You're letting me go?"

"I'm planning to, yeah."

"Why."

"Mika's dead. The crystals in the temples, the blocks, the ones with the Gerudo symbol on them, that wasNabooru and her girls; that was_ Mika's doing_. My sister and others, they did what they could during these seven years, because they knew something wrong had happened to Ganondorf, something that twisted him, the Goddess' damned _Triforce_ _piece_. He was a normal man before this! He was-" Link forced himself to shut up, to stem the tears, to keep the _hell_ going_, "_They couldn't do anything from the inside, because it would mean dismantling the one regime that could've worked in their favour. But it meant too much bloodshed at your side's expense. So they made it easier for you guys. Why do you think there were keys and maps and compasses left all over the place? It was them! It was my sister, and now she's dead. _Our Mika is DEAD_!"

Again Link had to take a deep breath, shut himself up, calm down. He would mourn her later. He would-what was that noise?

Link unsheathed the Dragon's tooth, pointing it at the darkness. The torches flickered fire, whispering, but there was no other noise, no sign of anyone or anything being close by. Link straightened a little from his stance, but didn't ease the hold on his weapon. "Sheik," he murmured, edging away from the prisoner's bars, "Was someone else brought down here?"

"One further down, on the other side." Sheik replied with a bored tone, "They looked particularly dead. Could be your Mika," he suggested, cruel spite lacing his words.

"It could well be," Link replied, hurrying towards the cell, grabbing a torch from the wall. He leaned against the bars, peering into the darkness, and there was a body there, and it looked suspiciously like a Gerudo girl. Link gulped and threw the torch into the prison, carefully avoiding the body on the ground.

He recognised her favourite hair-piece, stained with blood, askew in her hair.

"_Mika_!"

The body twitched. Link shouted her name again, but there was no response.

Link gasped and his heart beat rose and panic brewed in his stomach as he realised that she was alive but on the verge of death and there was only one way to save her. He threw the bottle with the pink fairy in it and smashed it on the far wall of her prison, and the pink fairy fluttered out, so slowly, so gods' damned slowly, and hovered over the tortured young woman's head.

"Mika. Mika, listen to me, please, _listen to me_. I want you to want to live. I need you to want to live. You can be saved, you can be healed, you'll be alright in just a snap just _you need to want to live_. It must hurt, it looks like it hurts a lot and I know you probably want to die right now but _you can't_! You cannot do that right now, Mika, we. need. you. to. live. _Do you understand me_?"

There was no response, and the Pink fairy was beginning to slowly wing its way towards him, the only living thing in close proximity as far as it was concerned.

"_No!_ No Mika don't you dare give up on me, not now! You need to live, you have to live… the girls think you're dead! Alita and the twins, they think you're dead and they're in so much pain, Mika, please, they need to see you again, they need to see that you're alright, please! Tsulen still wants to travel through Hyrule with you, and, and, Alita, you were doing so well on her dress-code you're almost about to break through her military-ness, are you just going to give that up? You're so close! And, and, and damn it Tarrimb and I suck at archery! You know how much of a shame that is, we still need you to see us through, please, Mika, _we need you_! Wake up and live for sand's sake, for once _listen _to me and _wake up!" _Still no response, still not even a movement or a breath and Link screamed out something he hadn't said since he'd been overwhelmed by a cloud of monsters as a ten-year old. "Navi for Din's sake _do _something!"

The Pink fairy twitched in mid-air. Link stopped breathing. The fairy was heading in his direction but it seemed to look over its non-existent shoulder and cock a non-existent eyebrow before zooming back, circling the body, whirring over the head and hair and torqueing over the neck and shoulders before spinning round and round over the back, legs, toes, illuminating the dank cell in the shade of sunsets, pale desert roses, the very hue of Mika's hair, before vanishing, and there was a loud moan from the girl.

Link's knees gave out. "Din's sake…"

Mika growled and pushed herself off the floor, throwing her blood-matted hair back to glare at Link. "Did you have to shout so loud?"

The Hylian burst out laughing and reached through the bars, flailing his arms even as he sobbed tears of utter, complete, relief. "Shut up and give me a hug you crazy, crazy bitch."

… … … … …

Once the three of them were free they rushed up the stairs, Mika promising to see him again as she went to aid Alita in gathering troops and quelling the supporters. She was trembling, and her smile wasn't genuine. Link had a feeling that as soon as the chaos was over she was going to collapse and have a mental attack; he hoped he would have Sheik's assistance for that simply because of Mika's doings in the Temples. He owed the girl that much.

"So, do you want to head straight to Zelda? Or do you want to finish Ganondorf?" Link asked him, startling the Sheikah. "Though in a sense they're one and the same thing. And we need to find those weapons you collected from the Temples, or else you won't stand a chance against him. Also, if what your Princess has said about the Triforce is true, that King is a lot more powerful than I would've thought. Well," he paused with a considering tone, "Actually, taking into account that I've been hero-worshiping him for the last seven years, he probably _is_ as powerful as I thought."

Sheik hesitantly probed, "Which is about…?"

"Invincible?" Link replied sheepishly, making the other youth groan.

"That is so very reassuring. Really."

"Where did the third piece go, anyway?" Link continued, leading the way back to the armoury where there _must_ be the stolen goods, "Power, wisdom… um…"

"Courage. Courage was meant to go to the Hero of Time."

The Hylian burst out laughing at that. "Well, I don't have it, that's for sure. Look." He peeled his gauntlets away and revealed his hands, palm and back, both of which were scarred with mortal wounds, but no unearthly mark of the gods. "See? No mark. I am, as others tend to say, Gerudo scum through and through."

It was like Sheik's world had been rocked off its hinges for the second time that day. "But… but then _who…_?"

"No time to think on it. Anyway, here. Take the Master Sword."

He hesitated again, eyeing the Hylian strangely. "I'm not the Hero of Time."

Link gave a bark of laughter. "And _I_ am?"

There was a considering pause, and then a conceding bob of the head, but still Sheik adamantly pointed out, "You were destined to be, anyway."

"The Gerudo, so _I_, don't believe in destiny. Or fate. Or self-fulfilling prophecies. They're idiotic and go against the Goddesses' whole _point_ of giving us free will. There is no way I am the Hero of Time."

"Free will is another point entirely." Sheik scoffed out, rolling his eyes. "What we're talking about here is _character_. How many people do you know or think to name that would be brave enough, or stupid enough, to get through those Temples and escape alive? And that's not taking into account the slight possibility of fulfilling the task set inside those Temples. Without divine intervention there can't be a Hero of Time. You have to be born into this, you have to have been blessed with this kind of character, and clearly you were."

"If there _was_ divine intervention, my Navi wouldn't be _dead_." Link spat, rage flashing in his eyes, going away as quickly as it came. "And as for a person worth mentioning as a possible candidate of Hero of Time? Hello, you."

"What part of _I was not destined_ do you not understand?"

"The fact that you're able to hold the sword disproves that." Link shrugged, sighing at the very idea that this conversation was even happening at this dire point in time. Sheik still stubbornly refused to take the Sword back, so Link eyed the supposedly mystically powerful blade and smirked. "So you're the Master Sword, huh."

He gave it a swing, and it whistled beautifully in his hand. He remembered opening the Door of Time with the Ocarina, how he'd seen the sword, how he'd grasped it, and how his head had been wrenched into the hands of the Desert King. "They, well, Sheik does anyway, say we were once destined for each other. And maybe I recognise you, from the Temple of Time. I put the Spiritual Stones into your altar, and opened the door and I saw you. Do you remember me? What do you think? Would you like being used by me?"

There was no response, though Link could feel a heat in the hilt, growing and spreading, warning him. Link took the dive anyway, just to prove Sheik how idiotic an idea it was. "I am the Hero of Time and you're mine to wield."

There was a crack that sounded like lightning: the sound of Link's radius and ulna snapping in half.

The scream he let out was brutal and animal as the Sword clattered to the ground, the sound almost _smug_. Sheik jumped, horror-struck at the sight of the arm now jointed in three places, bruises forming immediately to show how the muscles were being cut up by the sharp edges of his own bones.

Link bit back the rest of his verbal expression of pain and produced his bottle of red potion, uncorking with his teeth and swigging it. The pain eased, but slowly. The wound of a Master Sword was a stubborn one to leave.

"Now _that_," Link muttered, "Is what it would have done to you if it really wanted to reject you for me. See, I have this thing with magic objects. They talk to me." He laughed at how insane he sounded, but he blamed that on the shock of a completely broken forearm. "The Ocarina showed me a memory from the past, the bow you found in the Temple of Time reminded me of Din's gift. The Master Sword wants to be wielded, Sheik, wielded by someone who is sure of himself. You are worthy. As far as that thing is concerned, you're worthy, but you're not giving yourself to it. It's _jealous_ of your other weapons, do you realise that?" Link laughed again, even as his bones knitted and his muscles gave a spasm.

"_Jealous_? Are you _mad_?"

"When  
>you fight in the Temples you always use your own weapons, and only for the final blow you use her." Link indicated with his head at the Holy Blade, the pronoun sounding right in his mind. "She likes killing bad guys: that's what she's for, that's her <em>job<em>. You're like a friend who keeps apologizing for no reason, and keeps getting in her way of doing what she wants; it gets annoying after a while and she's just bullying you into stopping, but you're not _listening._"

He could almost feel the hum of approval from the purple-hilted object. Link flexed his hand, then his arm, and rubbed it to get rid of the echo of pain. "If you're so sure that the path chooses its walker, then maybe I was that walker, once. But I was pushed off it, kidnapped, shaped into this. Something not suited for her. So she picked you. Now _accept it_."

Sheik held the blade in his hands, staring at it uncertainly before asking, "Any chance of there being a ceremony to undertake this? I'm not one for casual shouldering of a destiny that'll weigh on me forever."

"Then give her to me. Don't worry, she won't bite me anymore," Link said at Sheik's alarmed stare, rolling his eyes. "Kneel. I won't chop off your head with her either, she'd kill me first. Hurry up, we've got regicide to get to."

"I hope you're not referring to Zelda," Sheik glowered as he knelt. Link decided not to say that he wasn't sure. Link tapped Sheik's shoulders and head, invoking the Triad and their virtues Wisdom, Courage, and Power, before offering the hilt to the Sheikah.

"May your courage lead you to great deeds, your wisdom guide you through perils, your power support you when in need. I give you the title Hero of Time, friend and guide of the Master Sword. May mountains of enemies fall in your wake."

The blade glowed. It grew thinner, longer, the hilt became less bulky. The purple grip darkened, just by a little. When Sheik held it, it was the blade of his dreams.

"Alright then, now that we have that sorted, finally, where do you want to go? Zelda or Ganondorf first?"

"Zelda." Sheik's voice was determined as he sheathed the blade at his hip.

"Right this way." Link said, and they dashed for the armoury.

… … … … …

They split their equipment to suit their needs, and Link was very, _very _happy with the resulting attire.

On his back was the Mirror Shield, his hands clad in the Silver Gauntlets. From his hip swayed the Megaton Hammer, and the Hookshot. Thankfully the Lens of Truth had been displayed there as well, so Link had taken that simply because Sheik didn't need it. Sheik kept the Hoverboots and Ironsoles, the Hylian Shield, the Longshot, and the Hero's Bow. Though it seemed a little unfair that Link seemed to have all the useful tools, Sheik had pointed out that the Master Sword trumped all others anyway, and it fitted their fighting style. Sheik was of stealth and sharp combat. Link was all about brute strength and devastating efficiency. After checking everything was in order, they left the armoury and charged for the main tower.

Half way there the whole Castle rumbled, making them trip and fall.

Link swore, having bit his tongue. "That's just degrading."

He and Sheik picked themselves up, checking their equipment, making sure the other was alright. Link scanned the area as he continued to lead the way, wondering where his father would be, what he'd done to the castle; but there was no outward change to anything, anywhere.

He hoped that his sisters were alright, and then they turned a corner.

The door leading to the main tower was the colour of coal, as if there was a raging fire behind it, blackening it from the inside out. Link looked at Sheik, nodded, and let him open the door.

It was a completely different than quite literally ten minutes ago.

The stone walls looked like they'd just survived a fire, or been splattered with the darkest ink in existence. They oozed malice, dripped derision, and the air smelt of fizzled magic. The very layout of the tower had changed; there were doors where they weren't meant to be, and the large ballroom was stabbed in the heart by a staircase that was supposed to be at the back of the room, and the foot of it was encased in a bubble the colour of a rainbow bruise.

Oh yeah, Link shivered, Ganondorf is definitely a powerful bastard.

"So," Link said, stretching his hands in the Silver Gauntlets, stepping up to a pillar that leaned against a wall, "Since each door has the emblem of each race carved into it, I guess we have to beat whatever's in each one?"

"I'd say so, yes," Sheik nodded, notching an arrow onto the Hero's Bow and shooting a Light Arrow at the bubble that encased the stairs. The wall reacted like water in slow motion. It splashed, then folded, showing for a second the red and gold carpet that languished on the steps. "There are probably six sources of power, one in each room, generating this shield. I don't even want to know what it'll do to us if we touch it."

"Alright, since we both know how to use a Light Arrow, let's get on with it." Link gripped the pillar that leaned against the wall, dug his fingers into it, reinforcing the gauntlets' power with his own magic. It groaned as Link shifted it, heaved it, growling as he bucked it off the floor, the pillar lurching to the side before he hurled it with a roar, straight at the bubble of dark power.

It cracked as if knifed by a giant, crumbling into dust at contact, hissing as if dipped in a pool of acid.

"So I think we have a good estimate at what would have happened to us," Link shrugged, before seeing which door he had unveiled.

Forest. Lovely.

"See you soon, Sheik," Link tossed over his shoulder, before entering the puzzle-filled room.

… … … … …

He notched the arrow onto his favourite bow, and hesitated.

The green orb trapped in a film of bruise-coloured magic squirmed, trying to escape from its oppressive chrysalis. What would he find if he shot it? Another monster? Nothing? Or worse, a meeting with Saria? What would he say to her? What would _she_say to _him_?

Rolling his eyes Link told himself that he could just run away, and shot the green ball of light, right where the bull's eye would have been.

It burst like a trodden grape, and Saria unfurled from the remains. "Shei… Oh."

Link smiled. "Gods, you used to be taller than me, but look at you now."

Her eyes widened. "Link?"

"The very same. Hi, Saria."

"Oh my gods! Link! Where were you all this time? Oh, oh no. Where's… did she…?"

Link's smiled withered a little, but he rooted it there, for the little girl's sake. "Yeah, she died."

"Oh, oh dear…" she pressed her hands against her trembling lips, gathering herself before whispering, "I know we have to hurry, but oh I wish we had more time… Link, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, so am I."

"I'm glad to see you again, though. Just, please, take care of yourself. And be careful against Ganon!"

"I will." Link turned.

"Wait! Just, come here for a minute?"

Puzzled but complying, Link stepped up on the podium, and she gently pressed three fingertips against his forehead. Something fluttered in his chest, and his joints tingled borderline uncomfortably. "There," she said, "That'll help you both, and if you get seriously hurt, you'll heal. Alright?"

"Uh… thanks."

"Now hurry. The others need to be freed as well, or I won't be able to fight back Ganon's control."

"Fair enough." Link saluted her as light flashed in his eyes and next thing he knew, he was outside her door. "Nice."

… … … … …

The orange bubble burst and Nabooru blinked at him. "Woah."

"Yup." Link grinned, twisting this way and that to show her his get-up, "Pretty Gerudo, huh?"

"You look… you look fit to be a Prince."

"Oh stop it, you," Link chuckled before turning serious, "Now, get me out of here. With Sheik dealing with the stuff trapping Impa, all you guys should be free. We're in a hurry, right?"

"Before I do that, I have to teach you this song."

"…I'm sorry, _what_?"

"Just learn it." She snapped, showing him how serious she was, "I know this sounds weird, but please, shut up, and listen. And learn. The lives of our people _will_ depend on it."

Link swallowed and did so, whistling with her till he got it right, and thanking him gravely, imparting an important message that he was made to remember, Nabooru teleported him back to the main tower.

Sheik was waiting for him, wearing a pair of Golden Gauntlets. Link watched him grunt and pick up a pillar at least twice the size of the one the Hylian had thrown, an image so ridiculous that Sheik looked like an ant holding a boot, and he threw it at the bubble of magic that stopped them moving forward.

The racket and shock of breaking was nothing like the one before; the contact between granite and power quite literally obliterated the other. The Castle itself shuddered, and the noise nearly killed Link's sensitive ears. Though there was some rubble to go through, the way was clear.

Link looked at Sheik, whose cowl was a little mussed so he could see the hint of a manic grin.

"That was fun."

"Riiiiiiiiiiiight." Link drawled, pouting a little, "Let's go."

… … … … …

"Why is he _doing_ this?" Sheik snapped, flinging his shield up to block the Stalfos's blow, making his whole framed shudder at its force. The Master Sword whirled round the barrier, biting the skeleton's arm.

"He's testing you. Or testing _us_, if he knows about my betrayal, though I hope he doesn't." Link swung the Megaton hammer and shattered the huge halberd the Iron Knuckle wielded, lowering the monster's arsenal to just one equally huge battle axe. "Trust me, he'll be angry like _nothing_ else. That is, if he cared. Which I'm not so sure about, now."

"Please cut out the daddy issues and tell me why he's goddamn _testing_ me!" The Sheikah growled, cutting down the Stalfos with his yell, sending it into fiery oblivion. The Master Sword was aided in battle with one of Sheik's knives, strapped to the edge of the Hylian shield, but she was always given the privilege of first blood and final blow. Link could almost hear her _singing_.

"Ouch, Sheik," Link drawled, as he slashed into the heart of the Iron Knuckle, certain it contained no Gerudo slave, "That hurts. And he's testing you because he's bored. Or interested. He believes in duels, though whether he fights fair is completely up to him."

"But _why_?"

"Sheik, think about it," he tossed a flask of water to him as he said so, letting the Sheikah take a chug of water, "He brought Volvagia back to life. _Volvagia_. He probably created Morpha, and as for Bongo, he probably got rid of the seal. All those things were powerful as all hell; don't you think he has the power to wipe us off the map _right now_, if he wanted to? Why do you think he had me watching over you? He may not have wanted me to aid you so much, but he wanted Zelda found, and he wanted to see your skill. And trust me, I'm a great judge of skill, thanks to him. He can't imagine the likes of you to defeat him. He's dead certain that he can't be beaten, so, why not have a little fun while he's at it?"

Sheik gave Link back his flask, letting him drink from it too. "So, I'm his latest show."

"Yup."

Sheik glowered. "I'll just make damn sure that this is the last one he ever gets, then."

"Good luck with that," Link cheered as if it was none of his business, pulling a thumbs-up.

… … … … …

They had been wondering for a while what that noise was, as they climbed an abominable amount of stairs, but once they were close enough to the topmost room of the tower, Link recognised it.

He was playing the organ. Link shivered, coming to a stop.

He remembered enjoying that organ. It was his first few hesitant days after Ganondorf had accepted him as his son, the days when he'd only just taken the little boy under his wing. He'd sat on the Desert King's lap, tapping on one key at every beat as said King played. Though Link never properly learnt to play the instrument, too busy with the art of swordplay, he'd loved listening to that man and his organ, listening to the legends of the Desert, the man's pride for his daughters, and the plans he had for his people.

Was this some ploy to get Link back on his side? Or was this just Ganondorf being bored, passing the time till the 'Hero' arrived to save his Princess, waiting for the final shard of the Triforce piece to step into the same room?

"Wait," Link bit out, almost a gasp. "Wait."

Sheik stopped a few steps from the door that led to his Princess, and glowered. "What?"

"I… give me a minute. The music is… the music's distracting. Please."

Sheik leapt down to where he was and shook his shoulder, where Sheik had bruised him in the Temple of Time. "Whatever's going through your head, snap out of it."

"I know. I know, it's just…"

"Link, the thing is, I still don't trust you. You have my grudging respect for coming out of whatever those hags and Ganondorf did to you, but I still don't have any guarantee that you're not on his side. I am not comfortable with you next to me in these moments, like now, when you brood. _Don't brood_. Fight next to me. That's the only time I trust you because I know you're busy trying to kill something that isn't me. Do you hear me? _Fight next to me_!"

Link shook his head. "As nice it is to know that you _want _ to trust me… I … I need to clear this out of my mind. I just… Give me a minute."

"No." Sheik's voice was suddenly low, growling, eyes narrowed with conviction. "If you don't snap out of it right now, I'm going to dislodge both your arms from their sockets and I'm leaving you here."

"_No_!" the Hylian bared his teeth, shoving Sheik away. "You're not taking my revenge from me. Ganondorf will pay for what he did to Navi. He will!"

"That's more like it. Now, are you coming?"

"You go first." Link hopped down a few steps and pressed a panel in the wall, and a space big enough to let a person holding a tray or two through revealed itself. "I'll go through the servants' path, see if I can stab him in the back and give you an advantage. Or while you fight him I'll see if I can smash that prison with this," he indicated the Megaton hammer, before he smiled. "Your Zelda can fight, can't she?"

Sheik ignored the suggestive tone. "She knows some offensive magic, yes."

"Good. I'll see you there."

Link dashed through before Sheik could put in a word, and closed the door behind him just to be sure he wasn't followed.

His heart hammered in the darkness. By Gods. He was terrified.

Link envied Sheik's ignorance on just how goddamn powerful Ganondorf really was. By Gods. And he was fighting the man that had raised him, backhanded methods or no, and the memories were going to be a huge hindrance. He gritted his teeth, trying to force his heart to stop, to cease its erratic humming and let him concentrate on his anger.

Ganondorf had betrayed him. He was going to pay. He had to pay.

_But that doesn't mean you have to hate him, Link._

The Hylian jolted. Oh gods. Oh gods not again.

_No, Link calm down. Just, calm down, alright? _

"Navi," he gasped, the terror clenching his chest doubling at her voice, "Navi, you should be dead."

_One thing at a time, love, one thing at a time._

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><p><strong>Before you ask, yes, it was all part of the plan to bring Navi back. To be honest, she was never really gone. :P hehehe.<strong>

**So yeeeaaah, chapter 17 this is. As you can probably tell, things are coming to a close. The final chapter is going to be in a few more weeks, I'd say, maybe even christmas if I feel like giving you guys a present. XD**

**Though I admit that would entail updating like, every three days or something... I'll calculate later. **

**I REALLY HOPE THE CHAPTER DIDN'T DISAPPOINT ANYONE. **

**Also, if there's anything you guys want in the next chapter that would make it personally more awesome for you guys, tell me in the reviews and I'll incorporate it as much as I can!**

**Now, FOR REVIEW REPLIES!**

_**Synneofthesun: **_**Yup, the epic betray scene. It was so much fun to write. XD Things have indeed begun to get exciting, I'll tell ya that, and though I do enjoy sad endings I love happy endings evn more, so it's happening. :P Glad you loved the chapter, and I hope this chapter recieved just as much affection. See you in the next review!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: Oooh, long review! I love long reviews! Yeah, the capture Zelda part was totally not in the plan for the Gerudo, but to be honest Link wanted to kill them all at that point, so yeeeeaaaah, he didn't really care. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear that you had a crappy week, and I hope this chapter will help you feel better, and that your exams have finished successfully. And, like, what you said about my stories really touched my heart. It was very, very nice and kind of you to say so much, and it really made my day. So sincere thanks. So many sincere thanks. Really. **

_**madlink007**_**: Yay! Thank you so much. The tear for Mika may have been wasted since she's still alive, but hey, it's the thought that counts. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, and I hope you continue to do so!**

_**SuperninjaX**_**: And now they're going against Ganon! GASP! Lol, I hope you liked it. XD**

_**darkwolflink1**_**: I know, Sheik was totally mad, eh. He's still a little angry with Link, but hey, he's concentrating on saving Zelda so he'll probably leave that for later. :P Yeah, sorry if it seems a bit of a copout to have Mika still live, but Link would've killed me if I hadn't brought her back, so I cowed to his pressure. XD Anyway, thank you for the review, glad you liked it, and I hope you liked this too. **

_**daimee**_**: Thank you! And yes, poor Sheik and Zelda, their dreams of victory were utterly shattered. XD And nah, Link just stabbed FORWARD, to engage a battle so Sheik wouldn't hinder Zelda's capture. Besides, he likes Sheik and hates Zelda, so he was happy with her getting kidnapped, rebel forces or no. So yeah, part one of final showdown is here, and part two will be coming soon! XD And I do hope I blow you guys away, or I'll feel terrible after so much self-advertisement. **

_**Havoc's Tears: **_**I put the backstabbing here, because before this Link had no real reason to. He was under orders to gain Sheik's trust, so no backstabbing needed, by the time he realised Ganon killed Navi Link liked Sheik, so again, no reason, but when he found out Zelda was essentially the reason why Navi is _dead_, well, Link couldn't just stand by and let her go unpunished, now, could he? And Sheik just got caught up in Link's personal vendetta so Link just sort of went with it, out of spite really. So yeeeeaaah. Half-baked psychology. XD Thank you for the long review! It's always a delight to read. XD **

_**Guest:**_** Thank you! And yeah, the story's pretty much coming to an end. And it's not that I dislike Sheik, it's just that I like giving all my characters a hard time. Conflict is what makes things interesting, so that's what I dish out in tidalwaves. XD Thank you for review, and I hope to see you again!**

_**Ray-Kat-Hollows**_**: Oh wow, thanks! It's very good to know that you really enjoyed this! And as for leaving reviews along the way, you can do it later. XD Nah, just kidding. The reasoning for Ganondorf's take over actually came from Wind Waker, and I just ellaborated my own imagination into it. :) And to be honest I'm more into romantic-action based stories too, and as you probably know I write them more often than not. I figured I could try a different genre. Anyway, thank you for your support, and I hope you continue to enjoy. **

_**CatsGotTongue**_**: Hahaha, true that, people DO know I love messing with my characters. I really enjoyed writing Link's reveal, so I'm glad you really enjoyed it. As for finding work, I've made it harder for myself because I haven't actually looked yet, and it's already what, the 8th of december? Who hires people at this time of the year? XD Ah, well, I'm sure I'll eventually get round to knocking on doors with woobie eyes, begging for a job. **

**Thank you all for youre reviews, adn I hope I see you guys again!**


	18. Chapter 18

_**The end is nigh!**_

**We've got this chapter, then a few more, and this story is finished. It does make me a little sad, but hey, that's what journeys are all about, right? There's always an end, but there's always another beginning, right?**

**Though this message is a little too early, since we still have like, three chapters to go. Enjoy while it's here, guys! And thank you so much for the reviews and favourites!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 18<strong>_

Sheik barged through the door, scanning the room for his Princess and there she was, trapped but safe, banging on the glass walls of her crystalline prison in alarm. A shudder of a breath escaped in relief, before he glowered at the man who had the audacity to have his back to him, still playing that tune on his instrument.

"I'm surprised you didn't meet my son on the way here." Was the first thing he said, as he finished the dirge and closed the lid on its keys with a soft, gentle click.

"Oh?" Sheik growled, raising his sword and shield, stepping forward as he spoke. "What makes you think I haven't defeated him already?"

"Not enough blood," Ganondorf replied, standing from his chair, meeting the youth's gaze with a smirk. "Unlike my other minions, he's no monster. He bleeds. He should cry out in pain when he's cut, though my training could have beaten that out of him already. You don't have the look of fresh murder on you."

"I bet it looks better than old murder, or tyranny. You'd know that best, wouldn't you, looking at it in the mirror for all these years."

"Witty." The King complimented, though he frowned a little at the back of his hand. "You don't have the final Triforce piece. Of _courage_," he mocked, before returning his gaze back to Sheik. "Yet you wield your so called Master Sword. A Sheikah nonetheless. I had expected the likes of you to wither in sunlight, considering your shadowy heritage."

Where was _Link_? Sheik considered the possibility of that Gerudo-raised Hylian lunatic betraying him, and grudgingly accepted that it was a valid one. He looked at Zelda, the back of her hand illuminating her terrified face, watching her shake her head, begging him to escape.

It was clear from her tears that she had lost hope. The Hero of her childhood had turned out to be the son of her enemy, the heir to the killer of her parents, and all that was left was her Sheikah servant and best friend, wielding a sword that still hadn't quite accepted him. She had never wanted this for him. She had never wanted to risk losing him to the Master Sword's wrath, and then to the Temples, and finally to Ganondorf right in front of her eyes.

Sheik had known that he was never good enough, not really, for her affection, her expectations, her everything. But his hand no longer burnt when he held the Sword of Evil's Bane. He was no longer weighed down by the uncertainty of someone out there, waiting to take his place.

"Your Majesty!"

His spine grew cold. Foreboding and horror trembled through him as Link marched to Ganondorf's side, sword and shield at the ready, making the man's eyebrows rise at the sight of the Gerudo equipment. Sheik swallowed, hands trembling now, the fear of having to fight Ganondorf as well as mini-Ganon rising in him like a tide.

"Link, son. No need to be coy; this man already knows your identity."

"Shall I kill him?" Link's voice was flat, blunt, and a little bit mocking but sure of himself, just like the first day they'd met.

"If you can," Ganondorf shrugged, sitting back on the stool of his organ, completely unconcerned now. "He doesn't have what I want from him. A shame, really."

Link curtly nodded and faced him, glaring at the Sheikah over the rim of the Mirror Shield as he slowly unsheathed his Dragon's Tooth.

Sheik gritted his teeth, and charged. Fine, fine, fine. He'd had enough of this. He was going to beat Link, then Ganondorf, then have a good long talk with Zelda, and screw the lack of Triforce piece. The Master Sword had accepted him. He had walked through the Temples, with or without help, and he had escaped them alive and stronger each time. As the Hylian traitor rushed at him he stepped forward, ready to fight, ready to see this through no matter the odds against him, for damn it, at this moment in time he was the only one capable of doing it.

Link smirked and winked as their swords clashed, the back of Sheik's hand blazing with Golden Light.

Ganondorf roared—outrage or triumph, it was hard to tell—as the Triforce of Courage, after seven whole years of hesitant dithering procrastination, finally chose its host.

It chose Sheik.

… … … … …

Link pretended to be blinded and knocked unconscious by said holy light as Sheik charged into raging battle with Ganondorf. He waited precisely three minutes to make sure the Gerudo King had forgotten about him, happily taunting the Sheikah as he shot balls of magic. Link rolled up, licked his lips, and wondered what to do next. Stab Ganondorf in the back and relish in the betrayal? Or free Zelda and end the battle as quickly as they could?

Link opted for the latter, still a little cowed by the idea of facing his foster father now that his sense of adrenaline and rage had died down.

_You're braver than this,_ Navi berated him though Link chuckled back.

"I'm working myself up to it," he whispered, scurrying to where Zelda was. He climbed up the side of the giant organ and hoisted the Megaton Hammer into his left hand, knocking it gently against the crystal to gain Zelda's attention from the no-doubt invigorating and harrowing sight of seeing the two fighters battling it out for their lives.

He winked at the look of fear from her, and knocked again, mouthing at her to _back off_, so she could read his lips. Now, it was all about timing. He watched the battle for a bit, waiting for the right opportunity. Sheik currently was busy dodging Ganondorf's numerous magical long ranged attacks, unable to do much in return. The word _coward_ often sprung from the masked mouth, laced with bitter outrage and sheer ferocity. The Triforce of Courage seemed to be burning through his veins, filling him with golden energy that oozed out of him in amethyst hues, lacing Sheik's throwing knives and making them fly at the tyrant king like hornets.

Sheik's momentum dropped when Ganondorf filled his hands with bright black power, making Link cringe at a once-wiped memory of a stormy night. But as it landed he _struck_ against the crystal, using the lightning _boom_ as a cover, and though it cracked it didn't do much else. And the crack healed over, which was a shame.

_Well, so much for that,_ the voice in his head muttered bitterly, _unless Ganondorf keeps at those attacks there's no way you can sneak Zelda out without getting caught, and by then Sheik would probably be dead. _

Link shrugged and slid back down the pipes of the organ before sneaking round the instrument, where the floors had fallen to a level below and only some teetering stone tiles were left behind, where Sheik could only touch Ganon with arrows having run out of throwing knives. The problem was, Ganon wasn't letting him get a chance at a shot; he kept coming with his bullets and bolts of power, hammering at Sheik, allowing him to dodge and nothing more.

Link notched an arrow, made it flare with light, but Sheik caught his eyes and _glared_, and Link retracted his arrow with a smile.

_Aww, isn't it nice to see someone try so hard for love? _

"It's a little adorable, yeah," Link snickered, biting the inside of his cheek in nervous worry as he watched the battle play out. He wished Sheik had taken the Mirror Shield now; it would have been a chance for Ganon to taste his own medicine.

"Though I kind of doubt he'd use spells reflected by this old thing," Link muttered thoughtfully, earning a grunt from the voice in his head.

The Hero was doing well, considering the circumstance, and when Link looked back at Zelda she was watching with raptured awe. Sheik managed to get a shot into Ganondorf and the Light coursed through the man like lightning, making him gasp in pain. Link watched as the man was brought to his feet, clutching at his heart. Sheik dived towards the platform Ganondorf was on and slashed, blocked by the Desert King with his own blade, though barely.

Link decided to cheat and fired an arrow straight at Ganondorf's back and _hid_.

There was a roar of agony and the sound of metal scraping on metal. There was a concussive _boom_ that jolted through the walls and this time it was Sheik that cried out, but Link told himself to not turn round the corner and look because he had a feeling Ganondorf was wondering where that second bolt of pain and light had come from, how it was possible that this thing had happened. But he desperately hoped Sheik had escaped with only a minor cut.

Sheik shouted again, sounding more determined than in pain, so Link sighed, took off his shield, used it to observe the battle. Sheik was being a lot more daring than Link was used to seeing, and that was nerve-racking as all _hell_. He refused to dodge without an arrow on his bow, and when he did he always took a shot at the king, calculating eyes glinting red. When it hit, Link _always_ shot Ganon in the back, to make him assume that the nature of the attack to be in two folds in one strike. Ganon was always crippled by the attack, dropping to the floor as his face twisted in pain, one hand always straining to clasp his heart.

Sheik engaged him with the Master Sword, the weapon crying with a fierce warcry as it clashed with the King's.

Link bit his lip, watching his new friend and old father fighting it out with a part of his heart screaming with something close to grief.

Windows smashed, stone crumbled, cries of pain intermittently erupted between the ring of swords and the silent _whumps_ of Light Arrows hitting and missing. Link gritted his teeth as he watched the close battle, watching his father's favourite blade clashing with Sheik's Master Sword, seeing the blood leaking from both of them. It had come tot the point where the young man was forced to keep running, to keep fighting, or the shaking in his knees and hands induced by growing hoplessness and tire would make him collpase on the spot. If Sheik could just get one final blow, one final devastating blow he would win, Ganondorf would be no more…

Link made a decision. He strapped the shield back against his spine, notched three arrows onto his bow and stepped into plain sight. He took aim, deliberately carefully, making himself understand his own decision, and accept it.

"Father!"

That got his attention. The King booted Sheik in the gut and opened his mouth, possibly to shout at him to not get in the way, but then he saw the Light arrows blazing like triplet shooting stars right into his chest and leg, the third one missing. The look of utter disbelief on the King's face didn't alleviate Link's mood in the least.

Sheik stabbed the King in the gut and Link locked his gaze with Ganondorf's and said: "I remember."

… … … … …

As far as Link was concerned, the next thing they were all doing was _running_.

"Follow me!"

He wasn't quite sure whether it was him or Zelda that had said that, but either way they were virtually running side by side, aiming for the same doors. Link wished he could've jumped over the edge after stealing the Hoverboots off Sheik, to simply glide away, but he liked the Sheikah too much and he still couldn't believe what he'd witnessed.

Ganondorf rising into the air like puppet on strings, no longer in control, unseated from his throne of power. Ganondorf shattering the windows in what seemed like spite, or denial at his defeat, crumpling to the floor.

Ganondorf falling to his knees. Ganondorf, lifeless. Ganondorf, dead. Link had stared at the corpse in the distance, not quite able to believe it. But he had to; the crystal round Zelda had decimated, and she had been freed. Sheik had been allowed to leave their poor excuse of an arena, to hold her, to ask her if she was alright and to thank Link for his help.

Zelda had interrupted Sheik's gratitude and had nearly stabbed the Hylian with a piece of her prison but the castle had rumbled and had begun to fall apart.

Hence the running.

"Zelda, look out!" Sheik dived to stop her from being crushed by falling mortar, and Link fired a couple of ice arrows at the ceiling to buy them more time. Zelda forced gated doors open and led the way, always with one hand held to her head, probably figuring out where to go next, and the other determinedly holding Sheik's arm.

_Yup, definitely adorable_.

"Now is _not_ the time!" Link spat, frantically looking for Gerudo. He hoped everyone was out and safe, away from this madness.

Then Zelda was caught in a ring of fire and two stray Stalfos found them and went on autopilot: _kill_.

Sheik was exhausted. Though he fought as much as he could Link did most of the smiting, extinguishing the flames trapping Zelda with a few choice shots of ice. Then they kept running, Zelda leading, pulling Sheik behind her, Link at the rear making sure the Sheikah didn't trip or something.

There were more monsters to fight, the creatures trying to escape the death trap that the castle now was, and always saw them as a threat to their salvation. Link hacked them down, still watching for Gerudo, for his sisters, anyone, but nobody was running for the exits like they were.

The front door was blocked with debris. Link cried out _this way_! And Sheik dragged Zelda behind him and they raced for the servants' corridor that led out to the western gardens.

Then they were out. They pulled one last mad dashing sprint till they emerged out into the sunlight, slowing to a gasping stop as the castle folded in on itself. The noise was terrible; thunder rolled in the very earth. In fact they were dropping; the land that floated atop the lake of lava was slowly descending, tipping over this way and that, thankfully tossing the debris of the ruined castle away from the three teenagers. The lava sloshed like a snoring dragon. The three of them stood there, watching dumbstruck.

The rubble settled, and the quiet was eerie.

Link swallowed, coughing and choking on the dust lining his throat, and croaked, "So did we win?"

"We won, yes," Zelda replied testily, "Though I'm not so sure about you."

"I'm going to go check," Link murmured, tossing Sheik his water-flask and a bundle of kawa leaves, "Drink this, chew on those. It'll numb the pain, at least, and it'll help your healing at most. These things are the main ingredient for red potion. Kawa leaves."

"I recognise them," Sheik gasped, wiping sweat from his eyes, "Thanks."

"No problem." Dazedly he walked towards the rubble, then stepped over a few, picked through them. There was a lot less than there should have been, but a lot of it had been tossed over the edge, so that explained it, he supposed.

_Why are you looking for his body?_

"I have to make sure. And I don't want those stupid Hylians dealing with it, considering they'll stick into onto a pike and parade it all over the country. Aveil should decide what to do."

_Fair enough, but- what was that?_

Link looked at where she was looking, where something had moved. But there shouldn't be anything alive there, unless it was some bird, or large piece of dust… swallowing, Link stumbled towards it, unsheathing his blade from his back, licking his lips, the tension in his chest slowly rising…

_Link I don't think that's a good idea… ohgodsnoLinkLOOKOUT!_

Link ducked under his shield as the rubble in front of him burst and sent him rolling in the dirt. He was lucky that he hadn't hit his head, he thought, as he peeked over the rim of the Mirror Shield and saw Ganondorf standing there, blood dripping from his wounds, gasping, the Triforce of Power pulsing like a horrible golden heart in his hand.

"You… son_… betrayed me_…"

"And you killed my fairy." Link spat, backing away as the zombie of a man stalked jerkily towards him, glaring murder in his eyes, which were slowly turning a demonic red. "You killed my childhood. You _almost_ killed Mika, when the one good thing you gave me as a slave to you were my sisters. You're not my father, not anymore. Now, please, do us all a favour and _die_!"

Link had chopped forward in an effort to decapitate the man but his sword-arm jolted and he howled as Ganondorf lifted his right hand and bared his Triforce piece, power oozing and raging from it till it ravaged the King's body, bulging it into something three times his normal height, muscles contorting into monstrous bulks, tusks sprouting from his lower lips as the nose was squashed into a snout. Link backed away faster and faster and the animalistic creature that was once mortal bore swords in both its paws and its feet stomped with hooves.

_Link if you don't pick up your weapon now, _you are going to die. _Do something!_

Helpful advice, Link thought wryly as he frantically searched for his blade, which lay in the dirt in two pieces, on the other side of the ring of flames Ganondorf no doubt conjured. Sheik with the Master Sword was on the other side, too.

"Damn it!"

"_DIE, SON._" The monster raised one of its blades and struck where Link had been, and the young man continued to run a circle round the monster, fear racing in his very blood.

_What do you have? What do you have that you can use?_

Link didn't know or care. He just concentrated on getting away, knowing how speedy his father was in battle, knowing full well that those blades would be wicked sharp. But then he listened. He skidded to a stop and saw how _slow_ the beast was, though the arms still retained the speed of the King.

Dangerous though he was, he was still far, far slower than Link remembered. This was his _chance_.

He followed Sheik's example and notched an arrow to his bow, and called up a Light arrow. He waited till Ganon caught up to him, raised his weapon to cut him in half. He shot, right into the throat, and the squeal he gave was something like a pig's.

_Well he HAS turned into a giant hog, now, hasn't he? _

Link swung with the Megaton Hammer, but it rebounded from the hoof, didn't reach the hands, but there was a tail and he _whacked _it like nothing else, driving all his power into it. Hopefully it worked like the small of the spine; when done in, half the body was paralyzed.

Alas it was not the case as Ganon roared and spun around, sending the young man flying.

"_Link_! Link, get up! _Get up_!"

The voice was female, and didn't belong to Navi or Zelda. Then who…?

Somebody grabbed his upper body and dragged him away, and another person screeched at how cursedly heavy the bloody hammer was, what was wrong with this thing!?

"Tarrimb…?"

"Yeah, sleepy head. Now get up before dear old dad squishes you." he was dumped back onto the ground and he groaned as he pushed himself up, staring blearily at his sister.

"What are you _doing_ here?"

"We were one of the last to get out of the Castle. Midna and I sort of got stranded in here when we were trying to help those Hylian soldiers out of the rubble."

Link scrambled up onto his feet, heavily leaning on his sister as he checked that she wasn't severely injured. There was a nasty gash on her arm and she was peppered with bruises, probably from falling bits of ceiling, but other than that she seemed fine.

New determination brewed in his heart. "Right. I'm going to go back in there and see what I can do. If I hit him hard enough this fire should die down, and by then I should have Sheik's help, so you guys get the hell out of here, alright? And take those Hylians soldiers with you, and make sure they _know_ you're the ones that rescued them now _go_!"

They nodded and they parted ways, even as Navi giggled and said, _That Midna girl was very pretty_.

"Now is _not the time_, Navi, seriously!"

_Oh, lighten up, you've got this in the bag, trust me. Just don't get overconfident._

"Look who's talking," he muttered, and shoved as much power as he could into the one Light Arrow and launched it right into Ganon's gut, where the target was wider. It roared at contact and Link swung the hammer and bashed it in the shin before dancing round, whacking the tail twice before dancing back, running running running away from the blades to repeat the formula. It was the best he had, and it seemed to be working, anyway.

The ring of fire was extinguished, and Sheik hollered his name.

They ran past each other, slapping their palms together in a congratulatory hi-five. Link skidded to a stop next to his blade, which thankfully still had a decent amount of metal above the hilt. Enough to slit a throat, or stab an eye. Not enough to reach the heart or brain on that massive creature, but enough to be useful.

He grabbed it, sheathed it, and returned to battle.

He notched three arrows into his bow and fired them at once, their heads burst into bright suns as they arched towards Ganon. It roared as the magic coursed through it, and Sheik stabbed forward with an almighty yell, cutting it deeply in the thigh.

It fell to one knee, and Link shot it again to keep it there. He knelt and shot and shot and shot, grinding his teeth, his heart thrumming like a hummingbird's. He was using too much magic too fast but there was nothing else he could do, except support the Hero of Time like their lives depended on it.

_Which, it kind of does, you know_.

"Oh, shut up," he grumbled, having run out of arrows, sprinting towards Sheik to steal some from his quiver. Half way there, he fired the hook shot around the Hero's arm and yanked him back, probably saving him from being cut in half. Sheik skidded to a stop at his feet, looking shell-shocked. Frankly, as if they were in a simple archery competition, Link said, "I don't have any arrows left. Gimme."

"Fair enough," Sheik hacked, and coughed, swigging water and handing Link the last of the flask as the monstrous creature rumbled towards them. "Do you think this is working?"

Link finished the water and threw the flask away in a show of frustration. "Considering that his blows are getting sloppy and he's a lot slower than before, yeah. But… I think I can see his wounds healing."

"Triforce of Power?"

"Probably."

Sheik swore colourfully as his muscles ached. He'd tripped far too often on the cursed rubble, and his legs had been shredded. His shield arm hurt from excursion, not used to the Hylian way of fighting. The Master Sword was humming in what felt like frustration in his hand; not enough blood, not enough smiting. And there was no doubt, no doubt at all, that the Desert King was beyond saving.

"If the shield's in the way, you may want to dump it," Link muttered conversationally, notching an arrow into his weapon again, "I won't let him hurt you."

Sheik laughed at that. "I'm not sure if I can trust you _that _much, oh son of yonder creature."

"Hey, I like you. You're fun to be with, and I seriously need friends. Maybe I'll have better street-cred if I make sure my first friend doesn't get squashed under hoof. I'll act as distraction. He probably wants to kill me more than you right now. Don't waste it."

"Link!"

The young man raced forward, shooting not a Light arrow but a Fire arrow at Ganon's face, effectively gaining his attention. It roared and sent one of its swords into the ground in a slanting slash, creating a wave of debris shooting towards him.

Link had no time to get his shield out; he turned his back and crouched and prayed, the force of the stone blows making him cry out.

His back was going to be a map of hideous bruises.

He rolled forward, ignoring the pain, before calling an Ice arrow and firing it into Ganon's right wrist. It squealed like a pig and noticing Sheik's proximity to the creature Link shot a Light arrow too, knocking it onto its tail and letting the Hero have a good go at it.

He shot two more Ice arrows into Ganon's right arm and shoulder, slowing it. What shot Ganon's wrist next was a Fire Arrow so powerful that the trailing magic looked like a phoenix, the magnitude of the flames rivalling Koume's. Ganon hardly felt it, so numb was his arm with pain.

_Link, if you're going to keep attacking him you have to stop the magic. Ask Sheik to swap. _

"No. It's his show." He rinsed, lathered, and repeated the process, though he could already feel his limbs screaming at him to stop.

_You're not a shadow or a slave or a soldier anymore, Link. You're an equal. Sheik respects you as one. Ask for his help._

"No." Link gritted his teeth and pulled out the Megaton Hammer, testing its weight in his hand. "I'm stronger than that. Sheik!" Link hollered, gaining the youth's attention even as he was backing away from Ganon, the creature rumbling up from the ground with great difficulty, "I'm going to do something stupid! Cover me!"

Link raced forward, and, with Ganon still on the ground he leapt and scrambled up the giant thing's body, making it grunt in confusion. Link swung his left arm skywards, and the momentum of the heavy hammer took him up the rest of the way. As gravity contemplated sending him back down to earth Link used his two hands and roared, smashing the Goron's legendary weapon onto burnt and frozen rotting flesh, obliterating the bones in Ganon's wrist.

He didn't really know what happened next; he thought, maybe, he was on the ground, lying on his side. He couldn't see out of one eye. He couldn't breathe. He thought he saw his own innards and one of his boots in the distance. He hoped his leg wasn't in there as well. He noticed the arm that could've been his, lying there in a zigzag, broken in two places. There was screaming in his head and it was Navi, and he tried to reassure her that it was alright, he was fine, but he couldn't talk because there was no jaw to work, his tongue lolling on broken flesh.

Ah, he realised calmly, he hurt me. Now I'm dying.

Then darkness.

… … … … …

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><p><strong>Dun, dun, duuuuuun.<strong>

**Yup, that just happened. I'm not going to say anything else, since I'm afraid you'll kill me. **

**So, yeah. REVIEW REPLIES!**

_**eternal nothingness**_**: It's not bad to feel sorry for Ganon, because he is a sad guy in a way, but hey. Sad, but evil. And yeah, that was the whole point of the story, really; how people have turned into monsters in their own ways, Ganon, Link, Navi, even Zelda. Only real exception is Sheik. Thanks for the review!**

_**Ray-Kat-Hollows**_**: Thanks! It's good to know you enjoy this. :) At first Link was meant to be the Hero of Time again, but I decided that you know what, he probably wouldn't want it. Sheik deserved it more anyway, so I gave it to him. I can't promise that all the heroes come out alive after this, but hey, you never know. I hope this was just as enjoyable as previous chapters!**

_**xoxmitchiexox**_**: Yay! Thank you so much for your renewed support, it's lovely to know that this was worth coming back to. So much gratitude for your praise, and I hope I get to hear from you more! I hope this was worth the wait. :)**

_**TheSilhouette**_**: Oooh, Chaos walking? That sounds like my kind of book. I think I'll look it up in the library XD. And since I've just moved into a new city, yeah, I'm bored. Thanks for the suggestion!**

_**daimee**_**: Oooh, I get top priority? That's so awesome! Writing Mika's revival really was fun. XD I actually really debated whether to make Link the Hero of Time again, but you're right, Sheik deserved it, and Link would've refused it anyway. I have a thing for Link hating Zelda, eh, especially in the OOT verse. Every other one is fine, but OOT? Link is detined to dislike Zelda. Oh, right, that stabbing bit. The pommel is the end of the hilt, so it would be the head part if the Master Sword was Fi... which you worked out in a later **

_**CatsGotTongue**_**: Isn't it great to get unexpected updates? I love that feeling. Yup, Sheik is the Hero of Time, officially now! Woot! As for Sheik being a guy or a girl, hey, I love being mysterious, although I'm not quite sure how that flies, now. As for the Master Sword having a sadistic personality, of course! XD Her job is quiter literally hacking at the bad guys and being a smart-ass about it. And you're right about Saria when she said 'you both'. Good work noticing that. Job hunting isn't going so good considering the time I'm doing this in, but, you know. Sigh. Will keep at it, I think. **

_**Guest: **_**Why thank you! It's good to know twists are in fact twists. ;) Bringing the good guys back is always fun; it seems like that's what the best japanese comic artists do, so I copied my role models. **

_**madlink007**_**: Yaaay, love being expletively awesome! Yeah, unfortunately, most of the kicking of Ganondorf's prosterier goes to Sheik, as he takes the mantle of Hero of Time. Though Link DOES do a number on him, lol. As for what Link is wearing, think Goron tunic but no collar, only a circular neckline. The hems are light orange/yellow, and has the Gerudo designs you can see on the Twin Rova's robes. The boots are the same, but the leggings are brown, and the undershirt has a more billowy turtleneck that can be pulled up over the nose. The hat is the same colour, but has an armour bit that's like the Zora's tunic from Twilight Princess. I considered describing it, but that would be from Sheik's point of view, and would have defeated the purpose **

**_Code Geass Viceroy Destiny_: MWAHAHAAHAAAAAA! I LIVE! says navi. :) I thought the length of the chapter might make the epicness more epic, but that may not have worked, lol. I still haven't found a job, it's baaaaad. (T.T) And as for Navi coming back, it'll all be revealed later. ;) The Master Sword changes between games all the time, so, why not between heroes? XD And yes yes yes, I LOVE messing with the characters, it's just so much fun. So yeah, that's all, and here it is, I hope you enjoyed it!**

_**Emzilla97**_**: Thank you! It's nice getting a review from a new reader! I KNOW! I miss Midna too, so GOD DAMN MUCH. Why would they DO THAT? (T0T) **

_**Pathetic Penguin**_**: I couldn't have lived without Navi n this story, so yeah, brought her back. The way she survives will be told later, so just you wait! XD I'm glad the SheikXZelda is turning out pretty well. Anyway, here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it! I suppose I COULD make it last forever, but that would be a mad, crazy idea that I shall leave to someone else. :P**

_**Havoc's Tears**_**: Yay! Good to know that this story is as exciting to read as it is to write. XD And what's the point of staying with canon if you're writing fanfiction? It's great to come away from it just to get a twist going. XD I'm glad people are responding so well to the two good guys coming back to life, lol, it's amazing. Navi's reason for coming back will be explained later in the fic, so yeah, no explaining of it here. :P Thanks for the review!**

**_Herooftimes_: Hehehe, yup, the Navi is back. Maybe I did make the Master Sword a little more... sadistic than necessary, but those two needed to get a message across to Sheik, and it seemed the best way of doing it. :P As for Ganon hopefully being not as invincible, well... guess Link's in a bit of a pickle, now, isn't he?  
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**Thank you all for so many reviews, and it was a joy replying to it all, and I hope to see you all again!**

**Just don't kill me for killing off Link. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello, all! Here's a new chapter; consider it a Christmas present from me to you all, or someover festive gift. Hace a good holiday, and I wish you a great new year. Enjoy!**

**Oh, by the way? Link ain't dead. ;)**

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><p><strong><em><span>The<span> next chapter_**

The darkness lifted.

Link breathed, the shock of simply _breathing_ nearly giving him a heart attack. He scrambled up, checking himself, and there was a residue of a green glow around his naval before that too was gone, and Navi was sobbing in his head in relief.

His gear was torn everywhere in deep gashes, stained with his blood.

_Thank gods for Saria, oh my gods oh my gods, she really pulled through she really really…_

Deciding to worry about _returning from the dead_ later, Link picked up his blade which somehow was still near him, and raced back into battle. Now it was _his_ turn to mortally injure his father.

There was a pillar of opal light coming from Zelda, holding Ganon in place. He could see the pig struggling, Zelda shouting, Sheik nodding his head as he advanced on Ganon. No. _No._ Revenge was meant to be his, it was meant to be _Link_ to cut off that bastard's head.

_Do you really mean that?_

"Now is really not the time to be philosophical, Navi!" he spat, jumping over rubble, racing towards the three of them. Link gritted his teeth, and green glowed from his hands. Instead of Silver gauntlets the plates were now _gold_, and fresh strength pumped through his legs and Link got to Ganon first.

There was his neck. Right there. Waiting to be cut, waiting to simply bleed out.

"Link."

The Hylian looked up and Sheik was watching him, analysing him. "Do you really want to become like that too?"

Link was about to retort, but bit it back. He looked at Ganon, the thing that used to be his father, and he shook his head. Maybe, if all he had to live for was this moment and time, he would've been happy to. But his mind didn't belong to just him anymore; it wouldn't have been fair on Navi.

"Do it." Link hissed, looking away. "Just do it."

Ganon's eyes rolled to look at him, hatred burning in its eyes.

Link deigned to reply to those eyes by stabbing down into Ganon'd broken wrist.

It roared. It thrashed and roared and Link gritted his teeth as he mangled the wound even further, cutting tendon, slicing muscle, separating bone from bone and driving through the gristle, till, the hand containing the Triforce of Power flew from its owner's arm.

Then the Master Sword glowed, embedded in the Dark King's forehead.

… … … … …

Link woke up to a feisty-looking girl slapping his face. His mouth moved before he really thought about it. "That hurts, Midna."

She blinked a little in surprise before she smirked. "Your sister mentions me _once_ and you already know who I am?"

"What can I say? There aren't many Gerudo with red eyes." Link really shouldn't have been talking, but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. "And Navi says you look pretty."

Her smirk turned a little confused. "Who?"

"The voice in my head."

"Aaaand, now I know you have a concussion or something. Come on, up you get."

He was helped to a sitting position, and on his other side was Tsulen, rubbing his back. Link winced as the bruises living there cackled and tormented him. "Ow. Ow. Bruises. Please."

Tsulen stopped. "Sorry."

He slumped against her, the dizziness rumbling behind his forehead slowly rolling into a headache. "It's alright. What… what happened to…?"

"The three of them?" his sister replied, shrugging, "Hard to tell. They sort of disappeared in a flash of light, which knocked you unconscious."

"Great." He looked around and scowled. His head was really starting to hurt. "Why are you all standing in a circle around me?"

"Just to make sure the Hylians trying to kill you fail miserably at it."

"Ah, right. Thanks. I…" his heart lurched, and his left hand ached. In fact his whole body ached and he choked back his outcry. His very skull seemed to be expanding and deflating at a rapid rate, a heart made out of marrow, about to _burst_ with agony. "I… I think I'm gonna go to sleep. Is that alright?"

"That's fine, brother. You can count on us."

"I know I can," Link croaked, before slipping into unconsciousness.

_We won, Link_, said a voice as he tucked himself into a blanket of dark, _we won._

… … … … …

He woke up in Kakariko with a Gerudo guard surrounding his bed, and he croaked cheerfully, "Hi, guys. Can I have some water?"

They were all too happy to agree, rushing to him with a whole basin, washing his face, helping him sip from a cup, asking if there was anything else he wanted. There was fruit readied for him at the bedside table, and he noticed that a sneaky layer of sheets were of Gerudo silk.

"Is Sheik around?"

They weren't as pleased to comply with that, but still Sheik was escorted to his bedside, the Master Sword hanging from his hip, the Triforce of Courage branded on his right hand.

Link laughed. "Oh my gods that _cape_!"

Sheik glowered at him. "It's a knight's uniform. I couldn't say no."

"Of course you could have, you're the bloody Hero of Time." He cackled and tried to hold it back, but he couldn't; he guffawed at how ridiculously knightly Sheik looked, and the Hero had the decency to smile. Link waved most of his guards away, thanking them kindly for their thoughts. They left reluctantly, agreeing only once one of them was allowed to stay behind. Link sighed, nodded in agreement, then smiled at the Sheikah Hero. "Navi says you look good, though, it fills you up. Or out. Or something."

It also reminded him of the get up Impa had worn in Link's memories, but the Hylian wisely decided not to say that.

Sheik frowned at his spoken words. "Navi? She still haunts you?"

"Not haunt, she's just there," Link shrugged, smiling toothily, tapping his noggin. "She thinks I should stop referring to her when I talk, since not many people would get it."

The Gerudo guard nudged Sheik with her elbow and whispered none-too-subtly, "It's not surprising, considering what Ganondorf did to him, but yeah. He's gone a little mad. But don't worry he's drugged up to his gills to make sure he stays in bed. He's harmless."

Sheik cocked an eyebrow. "What part of cutting off a giant boar-creature's hand is harmless?"

"Eh, fair point," the guard chuckled, sticking out her tongue at him. "My name is Calla, friend of Link's sister. I'm making sure our little dear doesn't do anything stupid while he's resting."

"Ah." Sheik smiled at Link and sat down on the stool next to his bed, shifting the Master Sword as he did so. "So, how _are_ you feeling?"

"My left hand's itching like crazy because of that fight, but other than that, the expected aches and pains, really. My legs feel like jelly; I haven't run that much in years."

Red eyes rolled with a touch of sarcasm. "Good thing too, or knowing you you'd be trying to escape."

"Navi wouldn't let me." Link pouted, sighing.

"She's treating you well, I take it?" Sheik asked, humouring him, "No spouts of devastating self-hatred and guilt?"

"Nah, Saria opened up the connection between her soul and mine, so we're communicating great."

There was a pause at that. Sheik looked at Calla dubiously, who shrugged, so he turned back to the apparently mad Hylian and asked, "Care to explain?"

"Navi was my fairy," Link happily said, speaking frankly, Sheik assumed, because of all the medicine that'd been administered to him. "Do you remember the Kokiri village? I was raised there from a toddler till like, ten years old, before heading off into Hyrule fields. The children there? All fairies. The kids you and I saw were just illusions, projections of images to fool us into thinking that they were defenceless kids. Which is, you know, fair. Anyway, Kokiri fairies don't really like associating with Hylians, but they had to because they were under the Tree's orders to look after me, what with destiny and all. Are you listening?"

The Hero of Time had taken the time to get comfortable at this point, having realised that it was to be a long explanation. "Loud and clear."

"Right. Anyway, the Tree wanted to give me a companion, you know, to look after me for when I went into the big wide world. I was _ten_, for gods' sake, I needed a damned guardian. Navi was the only one interested in looking after me outside the safety of the forests, cuz you know, she's nuts that way – yes you are, Navi, you're insane. Anyway, where was I?"

"Navi came to you."

"Right. Navi came to me, and we… bonded. Like, on a deeper level. It was like her soul mixed with mine. Nobody knew that fairies could do that, but yeah, it happened. You have no idea how awesome it felt. We could communicate without speaking to each other, hell, sometimes to other people. It got to the point that some Hylians thought I was a mute kid. She warned me of danger, she told me weaknesses of the enemy, she… really helped me out. She was my soul-mate."

The gravity of Link's loss was only beginning to dawn on the Sheikah. "…And Ganondorf killed her."

A shiver crawled down Link's spine. "I have a feeling I'll be dreaming about that a lot from now on. It's not going to be good."

"So how does this mean she can talk to you still?"

"Basically her body died and part of her still lives on in me, or something. Only Ganondorf's mind-spell blocked her from me, and when it started to crack it was just my own guilt using her voice, and yeah. _You_ staged that sappy thing in my head, didn't you." Link eyed the Sheikah reproachfully, making him look a little sheepish. "The let me go, thing? Oh, Link, all is forgiven, let me rest in peace; that one. At the Shadow Temple?"

"Sort of," Sheik admitted, rubbing his head, "It's just meant to calm people, let them see what they want to see to stop them self-destructing. It's a simple spell; trust me, I had no idea what was going through your head."

"Well, it worked. Thanks for that."

"Yes, well, no problem."

There was an awkward silence after that, and much coughing and hurrumphing to try and fill it. Navi laughed at him for being such a dolt, and Link sighed, extending a hand out to the Sheikah.

"Any chance of us being friends?"

Sheik looked at him, and slowly nodded. "Yeah, I think we can do friends."

They shook hands, firmly, and they smiled at each other.

Link smiled widely. "Right. As a friend, I've _got_ to ask. Are you a guy or a girl?"

"Is he serious?" Sheik asked the guard, who grinned.

"Hey, we want to know too. We've got a bet going."

Sheik exasperatedly told them, and Calla gleefully went to claim her money.

… … … … …

Sheik visited for a few days, looking happy that Link was getting better each day, allowed to walk around the room and eat solids and things, till one day Sheik came in looking grave.

_Oooh, _Navi whispered as Link poured the strongest drink he was allowed into his favourite cup, _that can't be good._

"What's wrong?" Link asked, cocking an eyebrow, "Anything tea can't solve?"

The Hero stood there, looking conflicted, till he shook his head and said, "Zelda's coming here to arrest you as a war criminal."

Link considered that, and asked slowly as he sipped from his hot mug, "How much does she like tea?"

"Link, this is serious. There are claims that you're the Skulchild."

"The what?"

"The thing that tormented villagers in Ganondorf's name. It wore a mask best described as a skull of an imp, with horns coming from its forehead. Does it have anything to do with you?"

_You could try lying to him again?_ Navi suggested hopefully,_ I mean, he might like you enough to let it slide_.

Link considered that, but now that he was on a genuine friendship with him he didn't like the idea of lying to him again. "What could happen to me if I potentially said yes?"

"Execution."

_Lie. Lie through your teeth, or run like hell. Please._

"How about I say nothing to you and I'll just speak with Zelda," Link smiled, as the Hylian soldiers argued outside with his Gerudo guards, "Sound fair?"

Sheik nodded, slowly, looking relieved. Clearly he'd been worried about being lied to again, too. "Be warned, she's almost as good at catching lies as I am, though she doesn't have my sure advantage. And don't say too much, blabbermouth."

"Wow, you almost sound like you care."

"Yes, because warning you doesn't give you a clear indication."

Link laughed at that as he set his finished tea down and strolled outside. "Thanks, Sheik."

The Sheikah bowed his head as Link snapped at everyone to be quiet and to take him to their leader.

… … … … …

They'd sorted the debris in Kakariko into a large square at the village green, to hold important meetings with the scattered lords of the country and the leaders of the Gorons and Zoras. They led him there, to their ceremonial court, and kicked his back to drive him to his knees, which didn't hurt as much as he'd anticipated, his bruises having healed. Nice.

A crowd had gathered at the sight of him, though they didn't step over the symbolic wall. Zelda sat before him in what he supposed was the grandest chair available in Kakariko, and he smiled at her. "Hi Zelda. Miss me?"

"Silence from the accused, if you will." She said, imperious and strong.

"Of course, your majesty." Link replied with a sweet smirk.

"You're accused of the crimes of torture, murder, and treason. How do you plead?"

"Well, it depends-" he was punched in the face by the Hylian guard looking after him, and Link glowered up at the man. "Try that a second time and you'll be sorry."

The snarl he received was full of spite and hateful derision. "Disrespect our Princess again, and I promise you I won't be."

"Touchy," Link smirked, before eyeing the Princess. He rolled his jaw to ease the pain before asking, "Why am I accused of those three crimes, exactly?"

"Torture under the Usurper King Ganondorf, murder in his name, and treason against the Kingdom of Hyrule."

"Ah, right… I see. Fine. I claim innocence. Or not guilty. Whatever you people like to say. Careful," Link added as the sentry moved to strike him again, "You've got a couple of ladies aiming to claim your heart."

There were three of them, in fact. Tarrimb, Tsulen and Mika had their bows trained solely on the Guard's back, aimed for not just the heart, but the kidneys, too. They'd crossed the symbolic walls, and were glowering nastily at Zelda.

"Is it me," Link said, as he stood up, "Or do you want to start another war?"

Zelda stood with him, gesturing so that her soldiers wouldn't attack, "I only wish to put right all wrongs done by your father. And there are numerous accounts that you were his right hand man; after all, Ganondorf _did_ adopt you, did he not?"

There was a collective gasp from the surrounding populace, which Link smirked at. "So, you want to make an example of me. Only, I don't think that's how it's going to work. Ladies, please, lower your bows."

They did so, reluctantly, but he sensed them doing it and was relieved by that. He then unsheathed his knife from his boot, unclipped the pouches from his belt, and dropped them all on the ground in front of him.

"Princess, that man may have raised me, but he did it through manipulation, through warping my mind to do his bidding. Maybe I did murder and torture for him, but to be honest, I don't think I can be accounted for it simply because I was _brainwashed most of the time_. Also, I don't remember much of my life with him; I was a puppet, and nothing much more. I may have thought of him as a father, but that has ceased to be my sentiment since the minute I remembered he tortured and killed my best friend right in front of my eyes, and I never claimed to be his Prince."

He let that sink in. "Maybe you can help ease your peoples' fears by executing me, but please take this into account: my sisters are Princesses. If you offend them by killing me I don't know what they'll do. The majority here are civilians. Children. Your hold on Hyrule is still shaky; _don't mess it up_."

Zelda seemed to blush a little but her gaze was determined. "You still must be punished for actions committed to this land. Justice must be had for your crimes, for the reign of terror is over and _done_."

"I helped you defeat him," Link said loudly, a fact she could not deny. "I helped the Hero of Time through his journey, and many times I had the chance to kill him and you, but I didn't take it. It was not me, but Ganondorf who committed these atrocities, and he, is, _dead_. We have had your retribution; the Gerudo have no real control, no real security, hell, they don't even have a _leader_."

"Actually, we do."

Link turned, looking at Mika with a puzzled expression. "What?"

"Princess. Permission to speak?" It was Tarrimb that spoke, eyeing Link to shut up, and when Zelda gave her permission to speak she also dropped her bow and quiver to the grass, and unclipped the rest of her weapons. "My sisters and I, and many leaders of the rebellion agree that Ganondorf has put us in the wrong, and we will do whatever it takes to set things right. But we will not be bullied. Our sister Alita has sent this news to all throughout Hyrule: We have designated Aveil, second in command to Nabooru, as advisor to our new monarch. To Prince Link."

"_What_?"

"Shut up, Link," Tsulen snapped, making him cringe.

"Princess," Tarrimb continued, "Our people believe in strength. Without strength none of us would survive in the lands we call home. Link, through his own strength, broke the hold Ganondorf had on his mind, helped our rebellion, and aided your cause. We nominate him as Prince, and through your rules you cannot simply _kill off_ our brother."

"Are you guys _nuts_?" Link demanded, and was about to say more till they all glared at him and Navi hissed at him to shut the hell up.

"He seems awfully reluctant to take the role, don't you think?" Zelda drawled sarcastically, making the muscles on Mika's face twitch.

"At least he isn't a power hungry twat out to get his ambitious paws on your throne again," she spat, earning a withering glance from the Hylian monarch.

"Princess," Tarrimb continued on with forced patience, "We implore you to work with us. Ganondorf's crimes are not Link's. He has the best for all of us in mind, and he would help your land thrive. If he proves himself even remotely similar to Ganondorf, or shows any sign of leading us down that dark path again…" She swallowed, glanced at Link, and proclaimed loudly, all three of them kneeling and bowing their heads to Zelda, "You have our permission to slay him with your Master Sword, if we don't get to him first."

_Nice. _Navi said, as the blood in Link's face drained, _they basically executed you ceremoniously without killing you. You have smart sisters, Link_.

"Yeah, but now I have to be bloody _King_."

_Do you prefer being dead?_

"A little," he whimpered, "Yeah."

... ... ... ... ...

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><p><strong>Lol, Link's king now! he would hate me. <strong>

**So yeah, officially two more chapters to go. One mellow one, one sort of actiony one and that would be it! My most arguably dark story is coming to a close. A shame, perhaps. Ah, well, we'll see how things go. **

_**Pathetic Penguin**_**: Hey, at least I started the next chapter less meanly, right? XD Link not being dead MUST be good. Yup, Midna, as in Twilight Princess. She's a Sheikah Gerudo who took after her father enough to be an outcast in her own home. I hope this chapter explained the situation with Navi, and there will be a brief explanation of Midna in the next one. I hope it was worth the wait!**

**_daimee_: I just like Midna, so yeah, I put her in. Besides, she has orange hair, why can't she be Gerudo? XD Yeah, Link was in fact actually dead, just Saria brought him back. Like seriously. That dude was basically cut in _half_. And his jaw was _completely _gone. Unfortunately, I love happy/open endings best, so that is what you guys will get. :P I hope you vontinue to enjoy this, even to the very end!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny**_**: IT'S OKAY! I SWEAR IT'S OKAY! He ain't dead! XD Well he _was_, but still. And I decided to kill him off because it seemed like a fun thing to do. Thankfully it was part of the plot line, because I wanted to avoid writing more fighting scenes and I wanted skip the conversation between Sheik and Zelda about sealing Ganon off and stuff. I'm glad you thought it was a badass chapter! Here's the update, and I hope you enjoyed this as much as the previous chapter. See you soon!**

_**madlink007**_**: It's okay, he's back. Though killing Link was really fun. :P **

_**TheSilhouette**_**: Yes, indeed you spot a Midna fan. God I loved her so much in TP. Yeah, later in the story I sort of regretted naming Mika with such a similar name to Midna, but hey, what can I do? Mika has such a nice ring to it, I just couldn't bring myself up to changing it. XD Thanks for the support, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

_**Havoc's Tears: **_**Yup, I killed him off, and brought him back. It was ridiculously fun to see everyone's reactions to his death. I figured it would lower Ganondorf's guard and drive Sheik to be even more vicious. hehehe. I'm a horrible person. As for _how_ he died, I figured with Ganon that huge, there would be _massive_ irrivocable damage. So there. And yes, it was definitely Midna, from TP. I just loved her too much to keep her out. Lol, I gotta say I'm loving the reaction out of everyone at Link's momentary death. Anyway, he's back, and I hope he continues to entertain you. **

_**CatsGotTongue**_**: Lol! Thank you! Glad the epic wasn't exaggerated in my self-advertising. Thanks, to be honest I'm a major fan of Sheik, so I just had to give him the spotlight for a bit. After all that, he really deserved the Triforce of Courage, so yeah. I don't think Link was ever really sane, hahaha, except for before when Navi was around. He was fine, then. Oh wow, so many praises. Thank you so much! I did the fight that way because since Sheik had become the cosmic main character, the fight would mostly be his too. I hope the completion of the fight was worth the wait, and that you enjoyed the chapter. **

_**Ray-Kat-Hollows**_**: IT'S OKAY! IT'S OKAY! HE DIED BUT HE'S BACK! Man I have a god-complex. XD Totally worth doing that for the awesome reactions I get in the reviews. I hope this chapter made it worth the stress of Link's untimely death. **

_**Kyle**_**: Um, what do you mean what is this about? It's a legend of Zelda fanfic about Link being raised by Ganondorf, ordered to hunt Sheik down once he steals the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword (though not in that order obviously), in doing so remembers and questions his past. :P**

_**Charmander Wizard**_**: Oooh, long time no see! Glad you're back, man! Hope you're enjoying the fic thus far. Thanks for your continued praise! **

_**Guest**_**: Yeah, sorry about the lack of Dark Link battle. I wanted to concentrate on the things going on inside Link's head, rather than around it. Maybe next time. ;)**

_**Guest 2**_**: Hmm, you're right, my stories do seem to be contastnaly getting darker. I should probably be able to remedy that once I keep going with Blue Pearls, but you never know. Thanks for your praise about the fight scenes, they are actually really hard to write, lol. And yup, Sheik is still somewhat a mystery, but I love him that way, so I have a feeling he's going to stay that way too. XD **

_**Darkwolflink1**_**: Yup, Mika and Navi are back and now so is Link. I seem to have a thing for bringing people back from the dead, lol. And yeah, 21 chapters. I was actually going to finish at 20, but there was stuff missing from the game I still wanted to add to the story, so the bonus chapter was included. **

_**Yachtohay: **_**I get to kill Link AND bring him back; it's great being an author. **

**_Herooftimes_: I had initially thought of Link regaining both Triforce and Master Sword once he realised who he was, but then, it seemed way too unfair on Sheik. Also, Link did some atrocites as a slave. He didn't murder any women or children but he learnt to be cruel, to think the Gerudo superior, and he began to idolize power and wisdom over foolish courage, so I figured he didn't deserve it, and he probably didn't want it. So there it is. If Sheik didn't earn the Triforce of Courage right then and there, what _would_ have happened was that Link and SHeik pretend to battle for a bit, _someone_ gets beaten, (robably Sheik) and Link would've stabbed Ganondorf in the FACE. I hope Link coming back has made the wait for the chapter worth all this. XD**

**Alright, that's all the review replies, guys! If you want answers to your niggling questions, feel free to ask and I would be all too happy to reply. **

**Happy holidays!**

**S.S.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Oh my god, it totally occured to me that this is the final chapter. Well, no, the final chapter in the sense that this is the last one before the epilogue, and sometimes epilogues kinda don't count because they're so short and sometimes pointless (coughHarrypottercoughserious lycough) but yeah. Second to last chapter, folks! I'm glad so many people njoyed this fic, and I hope to see you all again soon, if I end up writing something else. ;)**

**This chapter is definitely long, and may be a bit slow, but I hope you guys have some fun out of it nonetheless!**

**Review replies are at the bottom, per usual! See you there!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Chapter<strong>_

"Alright, now that everyone is here, w_hy_ did you _do that_?" Link spat, pacing to and fro by his bed as his sisters, and Sheik of all people, stood here and there in his appointed room. The door was closed, and beyond it Hylian soldiers were guarding the way, blocking anyone from entering. "Making me King is possibly the most _stupid_ decision you've made in your whole lives. For _Din_'s sake."

"Link, you would have been killed." Alita informed him without preamble, making him scoff, "The only way we could have protected you is by doing this."

"Protect _me_? Only a few days ago I helped killed fa... that King, who happened to be pretty damn powerful. I think I would've been fine protecting myself."

"Sure, you could've escaped, we won't put that past you," Alita drawled, standing at her full height, crossing her arms, "But we would have had to hunt you down. We would have been forced to join these Hylians to hunt you and kill you, and I have personally nearly lost enough siblings to last me a lifetime."

Her words were cold as ice, making Link stop in his tracks almost guiltily.

_Link, _Navi whispered, _she's right you know. Even with me here, I don't think we would have outrun them. They really did save your life, so... you know what to do._

"Alright, fine. Thanks for keeping me alive. Sorry for snapping." Link collapsed on his bed and dropped his face into his palms, sighing. "But I still think it's stupid. People suspect me for being that thing, which, I _was_..."

"Should you really be admitting that with me while I'm around?" Sheik questioned a little dubiously, making Link shrug.

"Like I said, it wasn't really me that did it. I mean, sometimes I enjoyed it but..."

The Sheikah groaned despairingly. "You should shut up now."

"In my defence that guy killed a _kid-_"

"Seriously _shut up_." Growled Tarrimb, and Tsulen and Mika were nodding.

_I concur_, Navi told him in a hoity-toity voice, _quiet you simple cretin. _

Link grumbled. "I still think it's a bad idea to name me King."

"It's the best we have," Alita shrugged, glowering at Sheik, "If you'd _stayed_ the Hero of Time as you and this Sheik claimed to be, we wouldn't have had to do this. That title alone would have saved you from execution, limited your sentence to exile, but we didn't have that option."

"In my defence," Sheik pointed out, "He gave me the title willingly, and I didn't exactly jump for it either."

"He has my backing on that," Link grinned, earning a slap to the head from Tarrimb. "Ow."

"Now that you're King, you need to be more reliable than this, moonspit."

"Protecting him aside," Sheik spoke up, tapping the hilt of the Master Sword with restless fingertips, "Putting in Ganondorf's right hand man as King was a very risky move on your part. Will you be able to justify this politically?"

"Why is he even here?" Tsulen questioned, frowning petulantly, "I had the impression that he was Zelda's lapdog."

Red eyes glowered at the Gerudo. "Call me that again and this lapdog's going to bite you."

"Ooh, kinky," Tsulen smirked back, winking. "But seriously. Why are you here?"

"Leave him alone, Lensie," Mika sighed, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, a small weapon in hand, "He's Link's friend, and he needs all the friends he can get right now. And he helps me sleep at night."

There was a disquieting pause at that, Link wincing at the image of his sister bloodied and bruised on the dungeon's hot floors.

_Link, will you repeat what I say to them?_

"Navi says he's here because he cares. Mostly about Zelda, true, since he's obviously besotted with her," there were numerous ice-breaking catcalls as Sheik blushed crimson behind his tabard, "There's been enough war, and Zelda may be wise but she's still seventeen or something. Like me. She might be easily influenced by adults with grudges, and she's dead scared of me, or hates me, or something. She might do something stupid just to try and hurt me, so you promised you'd keep me in line, didn't you. Which basically explains why you're here."

Sheik sighed and nodded. "Yes. Which, arguably, she's already tried to do. Something silly, that is."

"Making an example of you would have been a very good move, as far as I can tell. Sends a message," Tarrimb shrugged, "No close friend to Ganon or Ganon's rule will be safe, was what she was trying to say."

"So you effectively undermined her by stopping her from killing me?"

"If you look at it that way, yes."

"So it _was _a stupid move to make me King."

"In that way, yes, but we _were_ desperate." Tarrimb grumbled, eyeing Alita sheepishly, who was scowling like a storm cloud. "Sorry for making things difficult for you, sis."

"At least you effectively swore fealty to her," Sheik sighed, kneading the bridge of his nose, "When you knelt and asked her permission to let Link go. That would have placated the people to some extent, and it undermined Link's potential power, too. You _cannot_ be seen as potentially powerful, Link. Your safety lies in you being a puppet King."

Link violently shivered. "Please don't use the word puppet near me ever again."

"Sorry. A figurehead, then."

"Yeah, that works, even if I don't get it."

"Link," Tsulen sighed, "Think. You're Hylian. Or at least you look it. That'll give them a false sense of security, and it'll make negotiations easier. I mean, seducing a man into signing a contract is easy, but when they're like ten of them it's difficult. So we need a man on the team. As for us, the higher-ups know what fath-" she bit her tongue as she stumbled on the word, sighed, and said, "what Ganondorf did to you. So as long as you don't do anything stupid and you follow Aveil's advice, and ours, we won't stab you in the back."

Sarcastically: "Thanks."

"Aveil will be with you in the first conference that Zelda cooks up," Alita said as she moved to leave the room, "I still need to ride with my girls to outposts and things, to make sure stupid skirmishes aren't happening as we speak, so I won't be here for a few weeks, but can you handle that?"

_Shouldn't you tell them about... you know what?_

Link rubbed his hands together and shook his head. "I'll do my best."

"Got any questions before I run off?"

"Will you be safe?"

They all faltered at that question, and looked at each other with a hint of worry in their gazes. "I don't know. Zelda may be in power, now, but... that won't stop an arrow."

"Just... just try to be safe."

"I will, moonspit."

"Don't call your king moonspit," he tried to joke, but it came out flat.

… … … … …

He genuinely hated meetings like this, but if he wanted to protect his people (and his own life) he quite literally had no choice in the matter. It was this or have these idiots make their lives even more miserable than before the war, and that was something Link could not allow.

Unlike his near execution this meeting was held in a tent, right on top of the well of Kakariko. They'd boarded it up and used it as a table, where neatly documents were stacked, signed, and sent out to messengers. Though Zelda claimed the roundness of the seating symbolized equality on all sides, Link wasn't so sure the Lords understood the concept.

Behind her stood Sheik, his expression carefully blank though he kept his right hand firmly on the hilt of the Master Sword. To Link's right sat Aveil, as the Second in Command of the Gerudo and the Leader of the Rebel forces of their people. Though Link was glad that she was there he wished Alita was sitting to his left as his sister. She was a dependable woman, and it would've been nice to have someone to calm his irritation, especially since he had been put right opposite Zelda.

"Now that the situation in the fields have been dealt with…" The Hylians nodded and looked at Zelda.

She sighed, and said, "The Gerudo."

There was a murmur between the old men and one of them stood, clearing his throat. "Cast them out. Make it so that they'll never come back. They cannot be trusted, not after all these years of war."

"I doubt that we'd have any reason to come back with our King _dead_, Lord Auru," Aveil replied coolly, sitting back in her chair. Zelda was nodding in agreement, though it was hard to tell who she was agreeing with. "And we would be more than happy to take our forces home, as soon as you release the women that were under my command when the Castle fell."

"What of the Gerudo in the villages?"

Aveil glared at the one who spoke. "What?"

"Those of your blood that has mingled with ours. Ones with _children_." The word came out like a word of disgust. "What will become of them?"

"I don't see why they have to be banished as well," Zelda scowled, creating a murmur of dissent.

"Princess," another one of them stood, one closer to Link and Aveil. It was how the pecking order worked; the nearer to Zelda, the higher the status. Auru was on the right of Zelda; as far as Link was concerned he didn't need to learn any of the other men's names. "What if these women train these children to fight us? It would disrupt future prosperity; and-"

"Would you _please_," Aveil spat, "Not insult our young?" she glared at the Princess across the table, and calmly stated, "I agree with the Princess; the women with ties to any Hylian man or woman, looking after a child, should stay. Should we be allowed to disrupt the environment of innocent boys and girls simply for political reasons?"

There was much scoffing at that, and arguing. Link stayed out of it, tapping his foot to distract himself from the pettiness of it all. The really frustrating thing was, they were trying to get on to other issues that they thought 'more important than children' (which was _absurd_) such as compensation, trade cuts, suppression of the military, land boundaries, prisoners of war, treaties, and it just went incessantly on for an hour. Zelda was doing her best, he knew; she was still trying to figure out what to do with the Gerudo in the inner villages but the men, the stupid old men who were just trying to get their nostalgic power back into their grubby snide hands just kept talking over her, and gave no attention to Aveil simply for the race she belonged to. Did they have any clue what she had gone through? What his sisters had gone through, what _everyone_ who'd risked their lives defying Ganondorf had had to go through?

Link stood. Quiet, out of curiosity rather than politeness, settled. "You know what?" he spat, grinding his teeth, "I've had enough. If you don't respect your own Princess enough to abide her judgement, after all she's done to get this far, fine. Let's try a different tactic."

Aveil knew that glare well. It reminded her of his father.

Shuddering, she told him gently to not do anything stupid and to calm down. He told her to trust him before clearing his throat, glaring at each and every one of them. "Right. This is what's going to happen next. I demand stuff, and depending on how much you _fear me_, since respect is going to be a miracle at this point, we'll compromise."

He was given a mixed reception, though there was a shout here and there, synonymous to 'what?' and 'how dare you?' with the occasional guffaw of mockery and a blink of bewilderment.

"And what should we fear of you, boy?" one of them asked, "Smitten with the Gerudo, are we?"

Link stared at the man that said that, and asked his name. Giovanni, treasurer, he said.

"Right," Link replied, "First off, I may be Hylian, but I was raised a Gerudo. This lady here, Aveil, is my foster aunt." He got a satisfyingly pale face for those words. "Also, I helped the Hero of Time defeat Ganon, just so you know. Finally, when I cut off that demon's hand, I inherited a little something."

He brandished the back of his left hand, and the gauntlet smouldered into the pattern of the Triforce, specifically the piece representing Din burning through to reveal a golden glow.

Everyone looked suddenly terrified.

"Yeah, that's right." The smirk Link wore was one of triumph and complete and utter _smugness_, "I'm the new host for the Triforce of Power. So, here are my demands. Half the military stays to protect the Gerudo civilians from the prejudices of your people. For every three Gerudo one Hylian comes back to the valley with us. _QUIET_!" Link snapped, slamming his palms against the table with a resounding _bang. _For a second his voice had dipped low enough to be Ganondorf's and that more than anything else silenced them like corpses.

Zelda was standing, matching his glare with her own. There was something about her eyes that told him that she still hadn't forgiven him for who he was, for what he'd become. Sheik had the Master Sword unsheathed halfway, his eyes warning him to be very, _very_ careful.

"They," Link continued with more calm, "Will act as envoys from my people to yours for at least a year and the Prisoners of war will be traded accordingly through their efforts. Next, I will offer help in a way we both can appreciate, specifically to help solve the problems caused by Ganondorf's meddling with the Temples. We will destroy the dam we've built in the Zoras' river within a set time, and trade will continue as is. The Gerudo under the commands of Ganondorf will be released to you if you or we have any proof of their wilful involvement and the terms of incarceration have been put in order." He smiled pleasantly and extended a hand towards Zelda. "Princess. You may negotiate."

"A _fifth_ of your military shall be-"

"Princess!" the man next to Auru barked, "There is no way your father would have-"

He came to a gagging stop, eyes bulging, his face burning red. Link was pointing at him with two fingers, face a mask of concentration.

"Link." It was Sheik that said his name, making the Hylian open his eyes. "We just finished a war. Don't be the one to start it again."

The chancellor was clutching at his throat, which was visibly being constricted till it stopped and was gone, like a rubber band that'd snapped from the strain. There was a lot of gagging and coughing and gasping as the others stared at the two of them, the younger Hylian glowering with angered patience, the older dying one looking utterly terrified.

"I suggest you thank the Hero of Time for helping it end quickly. Interruptions from hereon in will be met with fifty shades of pain. If you want to speak, raise your hand. Now, Princess, feel free to continue. You may want to explain your decision to your men since they don't seem to trust you all that much. I worry for your rule, my Lady."

She seemed ready to grit her teeth, but she kept her poise and spoke smoothly, unafraid of him. "Only a fifth of your military may remain in Hyrule. I understand that your women are trained in the art of combat, so I highly doubt you'd need _half_ your troops to protect them."

"Ah, I think we're at a misunderstanding already." Link grinned, shaking his head. "When I say military, I mean the ladies already stationed at villages as sentries and guardswomen. Not the troops that held the Castle under control whilst Sheik and I, and of course, you, overthrew Ganondorf, and helped all of us evacuate – including _your_ soldiers, might I add – from said crumbling ruins. I hear some of them have become quite fond of your lands and people, and would appreciate seeing them through these hard times."

"I still doubt you would need half. Considering the significant difference in numbers between said two military factions, a quarter may remain."

"A third, then."

"A _quarter_, with local volunteers to help collaborate with my own people. Women pregnant or already with child will be considered exempt from your guardswomen, and we will count the numbers accordingly." Zelda's word was final. Link smiled and nodded in agreement, happy that at least _some_ would be left with the girls with children and family. "As for your second request, there will be no men stepping into that Valley with your people."

Link laughed. "So you'll allow women to come instead?"

Zelda's face grew beet red. "I will not have citizens act as _hostages_ under the guise of being envoys!"

"Deal with it." The Desert Prince snapped, for that was what he was now, to them, to Aveil, even to himself. "I'm not taking the risk of you and your overzealous knights deciding next year that my people deserve a good war to teach them their place or something _absurd_ that your hierarchical culture so desperately promotes. Over these last seven years the number of children has grown by three fold. The nurses back home are afraid of running because we have babies crawling everywhere. We have a _generation_ of innocent children that deserve some peace, and I am not _risking_ them over this petty holier-than-thou argument. _So,_" he forced himself to act more civil, and smiled again. "I would like at least one hundred of your people, women, children or men, I honestly don't care, to live with us for a year. They will be treated equally as Gerudo, will be provided for, as long as they pull their weight. I'm thinking we could use this as an opportunity to understand each other's culture, maybe finally come to terms with why we've clashed for so long, and how we can fix that. If they are desperate to leave by three months they will be allowed to do so. If you would prefer, I'm sure I can find volunteers to act as similar hostages, as you've so bluntly put it, in your Castle. Sound fair?"

Zelda glared at him, and the lords were fuming but remained silent. At least, the ones nearest Link and Aveil looked ready to murder, but the ones near Zelda looked interested, even intrigued. One raised his hand, and seeing no sign of rebuttal from either royal party he stood. "Prince Dragmire, may I speak?"

"Dragmire is my predecessor's name, not mine. I prefer Prince Link, or just Link. Please, go ahead."

"If this were to take place, what would you have the men, women and children do?"

"The men will be assigned with digging another well, which I personally will be part of, as well as the mages we have with us. The women will be helping with the livestock, the plantations, and anything else we may not have enough hands for. Though I have a feeling many of them will want to stay indoors and look after the children, but that's their decision. And I'm surprised you even put children as a category, but thank you for including them. I want them to get along. To teach each other games, their languages, their… I just want them to be an example to the adults, which _judging by your eye-rolling_," Link spat, stopping the Lords who'd indulged themselves mid-gesture, "You don't think credible, but I do. We _have_ to learn to get along. Does that explain it enough to you?"

"Would the Gerudo as a whole agree to this plan?"

"I'm sure the Prince would be too happy to discuss it with me and my Ladies," Aveil replied, kicking Link under the table, earning a wink from him, "Though I personally think it a good idea. If we decide on a plan, at least, I will offer my services and women to help with the arrangements."

"Princess?" Link prompted, making her sigh.

"I would need someone willing to lead this side of the arrangement."

"I will volunteer." The man who'd questioned Link said, looking determined, "It would be an honour to represent you in the Desert, my Princess."

"Thank you, Rusl. We shall discuss this matter further at a later date." Zelda indicated that he may sit down, and he did so with a few jealous glares from his fellow lords. "Now, as for the Prisoners of War…"

"Unfortunately for you, Ganondorf had a policy of no prisoners unless they were one of your spies, in which case they were sent to Twin Rova to be tortured out of their minds. Quite literally. We _do_ have a few Hylians that defected to our side and did atrocities in the name of Ganon, like pillaging, theft, rape, and murder, and his Gerudo war leaders, but we don't know how wilful their co-operation was. We'd like to conduct our own investigation before handing you said criminals, but I am all too happy to give you your Hylian traitors. They're all under house arrest, last I heard. Aveil?"

"Under house arrest, away from all weapons and communication, and we're sorting out through their letters and such to see if we can weed out any more of Ganondorf's supporters."

"Well, there you go."

"And the damage from the 'meddling' of the Temples, as you've put it so far?" Zelda prompted, "What do you propose?"

"We'll probably send our criminals to do the dirty work, especially in the dangerous areas like the Zora's Domain, or the redead infestation in Castletown. The mages not working on the well will help cool the mountain, if the Gorons would like the help, and we'll give whatever assistance we can to rebuilding Kakariko and your Castle."

"What of the exploitation of the river?"

"I don't know. Aveil?"

"We rely on that water-source, your Majesty," Aveil stood to speak, staring at the Hylian woman right in the eyes, "And with the extra children we cannot live without it right now. We'll build a well and then we'll systematically destroy it over six months; it may be a simple structure but if we don't take this amount of time we will lose numbers by drowning."

"Would the process go faster if we were to solicit the help of the Zoras?"

"Perhaps, but I doubt they'd wait that long to keep their river pure," the Gerudo replied, restraining herself quite considerably by not adding any sarcasm to the word 'pure'. Zelda nodded and it was decided that they'd leave that discussion for later.

"But trade cannot remain as is."

"Oh?" Link smiled too pleasantly. "And why is that?"

"Because the process wasn't a trade, it was a system of _tributes_," Zelda spat in disgust, "The Gerudo were allowed to pay but half of the market price, if that. I hear recently that there were demands for cream and milk in barrels on the pain of death."

"Ah," Link replied, "That may have been my fault. I'll reimburse that personally with a sincere apology. And we'll pay what we're due from now on, but please make sure on _your_ side that merchants don't try to rip us off with terrible produce and goods. Any trade agreements cut off without warning or reason will be dealt with severely, though I think you'd want to discuss that later. I'd like that in writing, please."

Zelda scowled. "That's it?"

"Well, those were my demands, weren't they? But I'm sure we'll be arguing some more, later on. Especially with everyone around."

"Ah."

"What? Who-" the man interrupted himself, grew pale, and shakily lifted his hand. Link nodded and the man hurriedly stood up. "Forgive my interruption earlier. Who are these others you speak of?"

"The Gorons and Zoras, of course," Zelda said, "As well as the Sheikah, who've hidden and protected me these last Seven years. If we could somehow get the Kokiri involved it would be a delight, but…"

"The Hero of Time went through the lost woods just fine," Link grinned, winking at the red-eyed youth, "I'm sure he can get all parties involved to the Sacred Meadow without any trouble."

There was a little bit of a discussion after that, but they'd settled most of what they'd come to talk about that day, so the meeting was adjourned, and Link sighed and leaned against Aveil as soon as everybody had left the room. Everybody except Sheik, anyway.

"That was a stupid move, Link," Sheik sighed, sitting on the table and laying the Master Sword across his lap. "You've positioned yourself into an image of a tyrant's son with similar despotic tendencies. You can't be trusted on the long term."

"As long as I can get things _done_ I genuinely don't care." Link gritted out, kneading his head, soothing his headache.

"You _do_ know that's a problem for _us_, too," Aveil drawled, "You know, as a people."

"Then banish me after five to ten years. Maybe even fifteen. Just, when the issues settle enough, and we have enough support from the Gorons and Zoras, though I doubt about the latter, get rid of me. It'll be a sign of goodwill, that there's no more Ganondorf-influenced people like me around, or something. I'll insult a few leaders beforehand so they'll be even more pleased about it or something. Gods I really don't care."

"You're being self-destructive again." Sheik pointed out, earning a nod of agreement from Aveil. "I thought we've been through this."

"Clearly," Link snapped, "Not enough. What exactly is stopping me from becoming like him anyway? What he's done to me has officially warped my sense of humour and restraint. I nearly killed that lord for interrupting me!"

"You _did _stop."

"Becuase you _told _me to. And you can't watch over me forever."

"I know someone who does," he shrugged, pointing at Link's head with the end of his blade.

_He's right you know. I'll watch. I'll warn you. Like I've always been doing._

"And what if I stop listening to you all? What if I just snap and the power gets to me and I decide to screw it and blow things up just because it'll be fun to watch?"

"Link," Aveil sighed, "Do you know how many times on average prisoners were brainwashed by Twin Rova before they were permanently vegetables? If not, take a guess."

"I rather wouldn't." he grumbled, making Aveil sigh.

"Once. They only needed a visit in the head _once_, and they did whatever Ganon and his advisors wanted. Now, how many times do you think you were messed with?"

The Hylian shuddered. "More than once. _A lot more_ than once."

"Because you kept recovering. You kept becoming what you were before. What do you think that _says_ about you? You have a nature that essentially can't be broken. Ganondorf tried to mould you into his shape for the last seven years, yet you've remained the boy capable of holding a Triforce piece without killing things. We have our doubts, we do, trust me, but if there was one thing we know for certain, it's this: _you are nothing like Ganondorf_."

Link bit his lip, and asked quietly, really?

_Yes. You are nothing like him. You're Link. My Link. The Link that all this time never forgot about me, no matter how people tried to make you._

"Now, you done whining?" Aveil asked, ploughing on, "Because I still don't know how we're going to gain any support from the Gorons and Zoras."

"...Trade," the Hylian grunted, his face screwed shut with his thinking. "We can probably use the sands to our advantage, we've got enough of it as it is. Maybe we can find types that will filter the waters clean, or ones the Gorons can eat. Not to mention music; you have no idea how much Gorons love music and story-telling. We should offer to perform for them or something whilst we get some trade-agreements and treaties going. The Zoras will be harder to please, but like Nabooru said, we're going to have to do a lot of pandering to get through the next few years."

"You're not much of a panderer, though." Aveil snorted, sounding amused.

"I'll deal with the Hylians so they don't rip us off. I'll leave you to do the pandering."

"The Hylians won't be so easily placated." Sheik warned, "Not after shaming those Lords in front of their Princess. Or scaring them, for that matter."

"Keep your enemy closer than your friends, right?" Link rubbed his face and Sheik was surprised to see him look so horrified. "Oh gods, I'm a monster."

"What? What were you thinking?"

"Probably something Ganondorf was. I… I thought of using my sisters. As bargaining chips."

Aveil sighed sympathetically and patted his blonde head. "It's alright, nephew. That's normal."

Link looked even worse, but she ploughed on, saying, "Look, they're Princesses: they know. It's all part of our History. It's not strange to have a Gerudo king send a daughter or two to marry a Hylian baron who couldn't do any better in his own hierarchy. If we can get some aristocratic git to marry any of those girls it will be a win for us. Those married to them will try to curry your favour in hopes of a higher position, or even a measly sense of worth. They know, and they'll be thinking about it."

"I'm not going to put them in Houses they'll be unhappy in!" Link snapped, escaping from his chair that was suddenly feeling too much like a throne, his advisor on one side and reluctant friend on the other. "They've suffered enough as it is!"

"That still doesn't change the facts."

Link paced, growling to himself. "Remind we why you nominated me _King_, gods _damn it_."

_Because you care, Link, and that's something the Gerudo need right now_.

"Because you're powerful enough to handle these pricks," Aveil shrugged, waggling her brows.

"This thing's going to curse me," Link growled, glaring at the Triforce piece, "I know so."

"Just try not to turn into a giant pig," Sheik butted in carelessly, earning a scowl from Link, "Because that is an experience I'd rather not repeat. Unless, in your eulogy, you want me to make bacon jokes."

"_Don't you dare_."

Sheik smirked. "Then don't turn into a giant pig."

… … … … …

Outside the tent, Midna waited for him. "Hello, Prince."

"Hello, you," Link replied, sighing and leaning into her. She kissed his neck and ruffled his head like a puppy's before taking his hand.

Midna was ridiculously attractive. Lithe, voluptuous, with an impish almost evil grin that Link simply couldn't resist. She was a Gerudo rogue, a girl that'd nearly been killed by the Twin Rova simply because she was too damned powerful to let live. She'd defected to Zelda's side a few years ago, claiming to be a Sheikah by dying her hair black, but had constantly kept communications with Nabooru and the rebel forces throughout her exile. Free of dye, her hair was a radiant red that made the bloodiest sunset look trashy.

Since the days he'd woken up bedridden, she had almost immediately claimed Link as her own. Some of his sisters weren't happy about it, since there were many other Gerudo girls wanting to be by his side for unsavoury reasons, but she helped Link control the devastating power of his Triforce piece, so they couldn't complain.

"You don't have to trust me," she'd shrugged, when he'd questioned her, whether she wanted him just to be future Queen or some such nonsense. "You just have to enjoy it."

And he did. Through weeks of harrowing debating with too many people, he really enjoyed her company. He didn't have to worry about her safety. Link had learnt spells of protection, warning and healing and had blasted some pendants with it, to keep his sisters safe and to drain the excessive fountain of energy of his triangular curse, but Midna, she'd once tossed an assassin into a wall hard enough to crack it, and she'd done it with her _hair_.

"So," she said, smiling impishly at him, "When are we heading back to the Valley with our procession of hostages?"

"Don't know. Probably next month." Link replied, as they took the stairs up towards Death Mountain to travel up the Goron's Pass, "But we need to get a few treaties sorted behind the Hylians' back, it might be better for us if it's delayed. Gorons love music, so I'm going up there now to get some sort of exchange of performances going, though I have no idea how it'll work. Do you know of any sand that the Gorons could eat?"

"Hmm. Well, molten sand or leftover slag from glassmaking might serve our purpose… I'll see what properties I can find in the rocks they eat, if any qualities match the sands."

He kissed her forehead as the terrain around them turned hard and hostile, cliffs climbing around them, threatening with boulders and rubble. "You're a saint."

She gave a preening flick of her hair. "I prefer the term devil."

"Then be a devil and look for sand that'll help purify water for the Zora as well."

"What? For those assess? Do I _have_ to?" She groaned, hugging his right arm as he carelessly lifted his left and let forth a concussive wave, making a boulder rolling towards them to fly back and crack in two. "Those Zoras are such pompous fish."

"Pompous fish we insulted during the war. If they're feeling spiteful enough they might find a way to drain our wells, and that's something I can't allow."

"Ooh, I love it when you're paranoid." She chuckled, kissing his cheek as her hair whipped and tore a tektite leaping towards them into bite-size pieces. "What other race do we need appeasing?"

"The Sheikah? Though that's less about appeasing and more about ally-making. We need to re-establish a friendship, and make an agreement that if one of us is threatened or screwed over by the Hylians, or anyone really, we'll help the other."

"Sounds fair," she said, sounding a little impressed, "And the Kokiri?"

The Prince cocked an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you even mentioned them."

"You care about them too much to leave alone, and they have something we don't have. A home teeming with life." Midna's eyes were half-lidded with self-important confidence as he ran her hand through his hair. "I know you think too much of us all to let any _Hylian_ take advantage of them."

He really didn't like her tone, but sighed and conceded, "I'm hoping to bargain some seeds out of them, herbs or trees that'll survive our terrain. We can't last trading just coconuts and dates, and we need to step up our glassware. I'll probably put up spells of protection in return, especially around their deity."

"Hmm. I suppose it'll keep your Triforce drained… I suggest you make your 'protection' powerful against Hylians as well."

"What makes you think I hadn't thought of that?"

Her laugh was a burst of delicious delight. "You're actually really good at being King."

Link snorted at that. "I'm not King. Not yet. Just an upstart Prince scrambling to do what's right."

"And when you're King," she purred before gently pressing her lips to his, "You'll go down in history."

* * *

><p><strong>So yup. That is the end of Link and Sheik's adventures. Or is it...?<br>**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

_**daimee**_**: And here I was so sure that I had convinced people that I'd killed Link off! XD Ah, well, you saw through me daimee, I shall have to be cleverer. Yup, Link decided that cutting the hand that killed Navi was as close as revenge he would ever get, so he went for it. And you know, what you said about Link not being a good king and wondering why his sisters decided to make him one, I was like, 'huh, she's right' and decided to add the first part in. In all honesty, if you and some other people hadn't mentioned their doubts about Link this chapter wouldn't have been so long. :P I ersonally thought the twili were Sheikah, till the mirror was found in the desert, and now I'm not so sure. Ah well, whatever. Anyway, thank you for following this for so long, and I hope the new year thus far has been kind to you. See ya soon!**

_**Code Geass Viceroy Destiny: **_**Link not being dead is always good, eh? XD As for Sheik being a girl or guy, meh, it's up to you guys now. I love arguing with Zelda. Making her less wise and beating her at her own game on my own limited brain power terms is just _fun_. XD Happy holidays, and I hope the wait wasn't too painful. **

_**Insane**_**. _Certifiably_: Yeah, I have a theory about the gerudo/Sheikah/Twili as well, lol, they just look so awesomely similar. XD I'm glad that chapter was enjoyable, and that I hope you found this one just as entertaining. **

**_Havoc's Tears_: Of course I know I'm cruel. I LOVE being cruel. XD I get such lovely reactions from my characters and my readers, so I have no real reason to stop. Mwahahaha! I think Saria brought Link back with her sage powers, basically a hyper version of the pink fairy. Or something. I kinda don't know either. As for Midna being Gerudo, it was too perfect for it to not happen, and she is perfect for this version of Link. :P They were meant to be together. Zelda's character is hard to write, for me, because she's meant to be so wise and awesome and things. Some writers do her very well, but me? I'm too much of a commoner to write her properly, lol. Since you liked the 'shut ups' with Link, Idecided to add more! Hope you enjoyed!**

_**Darkwolflink1: **_**Yup, Link's got power, Sheik's awesome, and Zelda... is misunderstood, I guess. It doesn't help that Link doesn't like her and we all love Link so she seems unlikeable as a result, hehehe. I think I'll keep the betting pool about Sheik's gender open to you guys, and laugh quietly at my throne of anonymity. Thank you for your reviews, and I hope to see you again.**

**_Ray-Kat-Hollows: _Yayness~ making up for horribleness is always good. XD As for Link being a good king, maybe he won't be so bad, what with Midna with him and all that, but she is kinda scary so... you never know. :P Here's the chapter, I hope you enjoyed, and the final one should be coming along soon enough. Thanks again!**

**_CatsGotTongue_: Thank you! Yeah, this story's not going to touch Twilight Princess, it's going to be all about messed up OOT. But if I DID tie this fic with that game I'd probably say Midna and Link got married, she turned out to be such an awesome Queen that Midna became a name fit for Princesses, and that carried on till they were swallowed up by Twilight. or something, lol. Oh, I don't think Calla ever says which gender Sheik belongs to, but if she did, curse you Calla! You gave the secret away! Sorry the update took a while to come round, but general lack of internet access and looking for a job was a huge factor in the delay. Hope you enjoyed!  
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**_MelissaMachine5000:_ Thank you for so many of your reviews, and thank you for taking so much of your time to give this a go. I'm glad you enjoyed it thus far and I hope you continue to do so. See you next chapter!  
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**_Ozymandeos_: Another new reader! This is fantastic! XD Thanks for the support, and yeah, I changed Sheik quite a bit, but that's what fanfics are all about right? ;) Thanks again, and I hope I hear from you again!  
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**_Me: _Hey Me! Long time no see! nice to see your name up there again, it was very nice of you. and don't worry about not reviewing all the time, I'm just the same with the fics I follow, and as long as you review just the once I'm super-stoked. So no apologies! XD Yeah, I did focus more on the mind, this time, since the main problem that needed to be solved for the fic was Link and Navi's thing. And I figured I didn't need to add so many details to an OOT fic, since there're just so many of them, heheh. And you're right, some bits could have been a lot darker, but meh, it's written. :P Just this chapter and the epilogue, and it's done!**

**_LinneaPike_: It's okay! Navi's back (well as back as she'll ever be) but yeah, what I put her through is quite horrible. :P Thanks for the review!  
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**_TheSilhouette_: Wow thank you so much for your words! It's really kind of you, and yeah, I think everyone here eventually gets those upstart twelve year olds talking shit. And thank you for the critique, that's totally what reviews are about, and I'm thankful that you even put in the time to try and help me out. I don't know if I was tired when I wrote this, since it was a while back, but hey, knowing me I probably was, but considering I'd edited this a bajillion times, you'd think it'd be perfect, eh? Lol. Silly me. Trust me, there is no hate between you and me, fellow midna-lover. Thanks!  
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**_remvis_: Hehehe, ah, love hashing through the Zelda/Sheik debate. To be honest, you're right, Sheik (if you canon to the rule) really sin't his own character, but I just love the idea of him so much I can't resist, you know? XD Thank you for your praise, it's really nice to see so many new readers on the reviewers list, it's great! And of course I put Link and Midna together X3 They're the power couple of Hyrule, lol! At least, my favourite one, anyway. Aside from Link/Sheik. Thank you for the review and I hope you review again. Have a nice day!  
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**_madlink007_: I love Midna too! Sooo much. Thank you for loving so many of my favourite parts, and I hope you keep loving it all! XD**

**_TwilightWakerofTime_: There's no such thing as laten3ess for reviewing! XD I'm just glad people do it at all! Wow, thank you. It's really nice to be told one your stories is a favourite. Yeah, kinda bummed this story's coming to a close, eh, it was a real rollercoaster ride, writing this. :P Thanks for your constant support, by the way. You know, funnily enough I agree with there being too many Sheikah/Gerudo OCs, but I fell into the trap of their awesomeness and I had to have some of my own! And my favourite is the desert scenes too, though I personally don't know why. XD And Link DID die, just for a few seconds, and Saria brought him back, so I'm not a liar ;) Just a very, very evil person. Mwahaahahaa. As for Blue Pearls, I'm a horrible person for saying this but I'm not sure if 'll finish it. Trust me, I hate hiatus-fics as much as anybody else, but, sigh... it's a difficult one. And yeah, a lot of people have told me it's Farore, but when I first started reading it was always Furore (I guess those writers didn't get the memo, lol) and I've just gotten so used to it I've stuck with the u. Oh, and I kept it because I found how Din means loud and Furore means loud as well. I found it funny. XD**

**_WhiteHero_: Thanks! Glad you think so!**

**_MasterShortPantsx3_: Thank you so much! Glad you liked it!  
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**Phew, damn, that was a lot of reviews. Thanks for them all, and I hope you guys have had a good start to the year thus far!**


	21. Chapter 21

**So yeah, I'm extremely bored, have no emails in my inbox, so you know what? Update time. This is the final chapter in this story, and there was a loose end that some people may or may not have picked up on, so just tying it up, and it's done!**

**Thank you all for all the support, the reviews, the kind words, and the occasional push in the right direction when it came to grammar, plot, and character development. **

**I hope you all have a good day/night after reading this, and yeah. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em><strong>Final chapter<strong>_

The time known later in history as the Resurrection was one of the most tense times in Hylian memory. Where the Gerudo and Hylians interacted for the purpose of peace and rebuilding, it was almost a rule to have one of the bearers of the Triforce to oversee the project, for fear of deadly skirmishes breaking through. On most accounts the Hero of Time was preferred, since the Gerudo had no real respect for the Princess and the Hylians were not so secretly terrified of the Prince.

It didn't help that Wisdom and Power generally disliked each other to the extremes.

Sheik, as he sat in the gardens of the Temple of Time where the Gossip Stones had been restored, sighed as he communicated with the Master Sword. He understood why they hated each other; one had betrayed the other, each in their own way, and treachery was a crime neither could forgive.

"Gods you look knightly. Or should I say heroic?"

Sheik looked up and smiled wryly at the familiar voice.

"Good evening, Prince."

The harsh terrain had completely accepted the young man, it seemed. His skin glowed bronze from the excessive heat of the sun, if a little chapped from the winds. If the way he walked and the way he was developing his body was any indication, he was less of a swordsman and more of a fighter now, allowing for quick movements in the sands. His eyes were sharp as knives, bright in his face, and the Triforce of Power smouldered in his hand. Sheik could feel the heat even from his perch.

"Good evening, Hero of Time." He replied, flashing sharp white teeth in a grin, "I take it you and the Master Sword are getting along like a house on fire?"

Sheik wondered whether he should share his information, but decided out of respect of their intertwined destinies to do so. "Her name is Fi. And yes, we're getting along very well."

The Prince looked pleasantly surprised. "She has a name. Interesting. But then again, _Master Sword_ is a title, isn't it? Hmm, Fi, huh. So both of us have omnipotent voices in our heads spouting constant unneeded advice? That is a hoot." But then he frowned, and the Hylian born monarch sat on the grass, his expression contemplative. "Do you think we'll be remembered by our names? Or are we destined to be known by our title?"

Sheik looked up at the sky, wincing at how brightly blue it was but enjoying the view anyway. "_You_ will be. It has to be recorded, after all: Link Mandrag the Fostered One or something. But I doubt I will. I prefer it that way."

"Just because you like your privacy, or just to uphold the Sheikah enigmatic-ness?"

"A bit of both, to tell the truth." Sheik smirked a little, and Link mirrored the expression.

"If only I had that luxury."

"You look well, by the way," Sheik complimented, the smirk softening into an actual smile, "I thought the sun would have destroyed your skin or something."

Link's smirk on the other hand, hardened into one of derisive pride. "It would have, but the Triforce is changing me. Or trying to or something. I don't know. Either way, the sun is my best friend now, I just can't get enough of daylight."

"You don't sound exactly pleased."

"Oh believe me, I'm thrilled to know that I look awesome with a tan." Link explained, scratching at the back of his left hand, "It's the bloody Triforce changing me is what the issue is here. It's like a spring gone berserk; I either build more tiers, basically strengthening myself, or funnel all the excess water constantly on something else. I'm running out of projects."

"Well you don't seem any crazier than usual, if that's what concerns you." Sheik mock-sympathized, making Link scowl.

"Navi's wondering about the projects I assigned _you_, by the way, and I'm curious to know how they turned out."

Sheik had almost been waiting for that line of enquiry, and grinned happily as he replied, "The Gorons have named me blood-brother, though it took a lot of effort and running. And bomb-dodging. I'll tell you the full story later. I can travel the Lost Woods fine now, thanks to Mido's training, and I've found a few portals, interestingly enough. The Zoras are much the same, though I think they'd be open to have a trade with your people, if you pander to them with some pretty shiny rocks. Hell, coloured glass may do the trick. Trust me, they sometimes remind me of ravens."

"How are the prisoners?" Link asked, with a touch of concern.

Sheik nodded. "The prisoners are still thawing a few of the back channels and hating every second of it. The Gerudo often drop from the cold, but they always recover. They receive adequate food and clothing, and dry quarters. The letters are arriving, and the presents too, though they earn these by a credit system. They're treated fairly, Link."

The Desert Prince gave a sigh of relief, and gestured for the Hero to carry on.

"My reputation amongst the Hylians has steadily grown better, judging by the flowers they throw at my feet," Sheik gave a brief sour expression to that, but continued on, "And my people are dropping their grudge against said Hylians and returning to their nomadic ways, which is a relief. Trade routes between farms and towns are being organised again for the next three years."

Link gave a theatrical wince at that. "I do not envy Zelda that position."

"Nor do I. Speaking of, a couple of the tribes leaders are hoping to hire some of your women as guards of caravans. You should be receiving a letter or bird or some such soon."

"That… would actually save me some trouble." Link breathed, looking as if a small weight had been lifted off his shoulders, "You have no idea. I would be _happy_ to get rid of a lot of my girls, in fact. Maybe I can drop some kids off on you people for hands-on business training?"

Sheik could hear the barely hidden worry in his voice, the tire in the blue eyes, which seemed to be paling. It occurred to them now that Link was early for the usual monthly visit. It was part of the treaty that Link come over to Hyrule once a month for Sheik and Zelda to inspect, to make sure he wasn't using his Triforce for 'evil'. Link liked visiting, and Sheik enjoyed his company; so much so that he often visited the desert himself to make sure Link was handling his new duties fine. Often he wasn't.

"What's happened, Link? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Sheik could almost see the struggle in Link's mind. From the day Ganondorf had been sealed in the Sacred realm, Link had refused anybody's help. He wanted to stand on his own two feet, wanted to protect his people with his own bare hands with nobody influencing his choice, whether it be through power or conversation or logic. Link didn't want to lean on Sheik, but, if he was here, at the Temple of Time most likely seeking advice from _Zelda, _he was desperate.

"There's no water in the Desert. The wells that we dug, even the new one that we finished two years ago, they're all… dried up."

Sheik swallowed. He was surprised Link hadn't come barging in, declaring war. "Do you know _why_?"

"The earthquake. That large one we had but four months back. We think that stemmed the flow, and Midna and I have been working on it for weeks now, trying to get that vein of water back. She can't find it, and if it can't be found I can't drag it back. I've been this close, Sheik, _this close_ to tearing the earth apart to find the damned thing but our very fortress could collapse if I did something so stupid, so… here I am; hoping to insult Zelda into investigating for me while I traipse off to the damned Zora and beg them to do something."

"Shiny rocks will help."

Link burst out laughing, cradling his head in his hands as he dug his elbows into the crooks of his bent knees. "Oh I bet they will. And more prisoners, and gold, and Gods know what else. We only have so much we can offer them, much less _give_, and they bloody well know that."

"As polar opposites of the Trinity's alignment, you surely have something they want?"

"We _are_ what they want. We want their cool water, their luxury. They want our passion, the wildness that comes from living in open air and land. They want our lifestyle with water, which just… can't happen. Navi says it's just like the Gorons wanting their mountain with more green, but they can't because they'll trample everything in their wake, and as for the Kokiri, well, fire isn't so great for their home. "

"Maybe there are relics around that can produce water? Maybe something like Din's fire, but with water or ice?" Sheik pointed out, wondering whether he could ask Zelda for some time of leave to go adventuring for said relic.

"We _do_ have the ice arrows, but all they do is just suck the temperature out of everything; they don't exactly conjure water out of thin air and freeze it or something nonsensical…" the Hylian shook out his hair and smirked at Sheik, "But don't you think you'll go adventuring out there without a lead; if the desert is anything to go by, the rest of the world is incomprehensibly _vast_."

The Hero of Time frowned. "Have you learnt to read minds?"

"Don't tempt me. You have no idea how jealous I am of your ability."

Sheik snorted at that. "Don't trust it too much, I hear there are people devious enough to find loopholes."

"You flatter me. Anyway, I…" he blinked, and seemed to concentrate, as if listening to something, or someone, and Sheik patiently waited as Link looked up and asked, "Is there any way of getting into the Sages Room or whatever? We-I, need to talk to Nabooru."

"Oh?"

"She said something to me, when we were trying to clear the stairs? She taught me this song, and she told me to… gods damn it, Navi, what did she say? … really…? She said teach it to the girl who'll drain the Well."

Sheik was really puzzled, now. "What?"

"Do you think she _knew_ this would happen? Because if so, I'm too late. She said this song would save our people, or something to that effect, and I just… oh gods, if someone has the power to cause that earthquake _without_ a Triforce…"

"Link. _Link_. Calm down."

The Triforce of Power had been humming and pulsing like a heart, perhaps following Link's pulse, and Sheik was not ready to deal with that kind of catastrophic release of magic. Link noticed it too, and forced himself to calm down, and both were relieved when the relic of the gods stopped reacting to Link's paranoia.

"Sorry," the Hylian whispered, a glimmer of sweat on his brow.

"It's alright," Sheik murmured, sitting on the grass in front of the Prince, "Just, relax. Now, you have to know that the Sages, no matter how omnipotent they are, can't tell the future. The only one capable of doing that is Zelda, and even then it has to be on a mass murdering scale of destruction for even her to notice. That earthquake, though devastating to your people, hasn't technically hurt anyone _directly_. So, I can surmise with confidence that Nabooru wasn't talking about this."

"Then what the _hell _was she talking about? If that song is meant to save my people I really need it _now_."

Sheik bit his lip, and on confirming with Fi that there was a 75% chance that what he was thinking was what Link was talking about, he asked, "Do you know who tracked down the Lens of Truth?"

"What, that creepy artefact that we gave back to you guys? That eyeglass? Nabooru and I found it."

"So you know it was at the bottom of the Kakariko Well."

"Yes, the stupid well that… had no water." The idea dawned on Link as well, and Sheik nodded.

"The Well that was drained."

Link saw how serious Sheik was, so spoke to him gravely instead of derisively. "You're telling me that I have to teach the person who drained the well this song. When it happened _ten years ago._"

"I could take you there."

Link stopped himself from laughing, because Sheik was looking so _serious_. The determination in the red eye, the fist clenched over the hilt of the Master Sword.

"After all," Sheik added with a smirk, "I _am _the Hero of _Time_."

The Hylian snorted, but nodded. "Fair enough. Take me to the past, Hero of Time."

… … … … …

Blue light. Then blinding light. Then agony.

Link gasped as he collapsed, his joints flaring in pain. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all.

_Your Triforce… oh my gods, Link…_

Link felt it. It was panicking, or whatever a mystical object of its calibre interpreted as panic. He could feel the other Triforce in the desert, brewing in the western territories, the younger version of itself inadvertently corrupting Ganon with its sheer magnitude and Ganon corrupting it in turn.

"Sheik," Link gasped, "We've got to get out of here. Ganondorf can probably sense us."

Sheik blew just one note with his fingers, and purple sparks enveloped them and dumped them at the entrance of the Shadow Temple. The pain lessoned but the paradox of godly proportions was still making _walking _hard.

Oh, they were definitely in the past, alright.

Link and Sheik sprinted towards the Well, the grey of dusk helping to hide their movement. When they got there it was filled to the brim with water, which would have been perfect since it meant that they just had to wait for Nabooru to arrive, if it weren't for the Triforce piece acting up to figure out what in hell was going on.

They were running on limited time.

They split up to look for Nabooru, Sheik heading towards the entrance of the village to see if he could catch her coming in, throwing over his shoulder these words to Link as he went: "The Windmill propels the water in the well, she may have gone there to sabotage it. _Go."_

_Knowing our luck she's just about to leave. Or enter. Or something. _

"Yeah, right."

Of course Navi was right. Cursing, Link climbed up the side of the windmill and entered through a window, awkwardly dodging a spinning mechanism of the machine to creep in. The man looking after the place wasn't here. Nabooru, who looked only a little past sixteen, no older than twenty, was busily looking for a way to turn the behemoth of a contraption _off_.

Link called, "Hey."

She jumped with a yelp, unsheathing a lone scimitar and looking for the culprit of the voice. "Who's there?"

"Just a friend. You're trying to empty the Well, right?"

"Show yourself!"

"My people aren't very good with requests like that," Link snickered, finding the panic in her voice a little amusing.

"… Are you… Sheikah?"

The Hylian blinked at that. Huh. That wasn't such a bad cover; much better than telling the hare-brained truth, anyway.

_You do know that whatever you say could have terrible repercussions in the future, right?_

The truth it is, then.

"I'm Gerudo, actually. I'm Prince Mandrag, the first after Ganondorf's reign, which hasn't been looked on kindly in history. _I greet you kindly, daughter of the sun, and may the wind kiss you rather than bite you alive._" He said in Gerudo to prove himself, before dropping to the floor where she stood, thinking the dark would obscure her view of him enough to be safe, "I travelled here with the Hero of Time, who's making sure our old King doesn't come kill us without our notice. Now. You're trying to get the Lens of Truth. A relic of great power. Why? And don't stall; Ganondorf may notice me being here any minute, and we both know what he can do."

"I hear that it shows the truth." She said after hesitation, "The Lens. I want him to see what he's beginning to turn into. A monster. I don't know what's happened to him, _no one _knows what's happened to him. He plans on sacking Castle Town; he needs to see that it can't happen, not if we plan to prosper. I can't… I can't let my best friend do that."

Link winced. Ganondorf and Nabooru… _best friends_? "Very mature, for a young lady."

"Will you or won't you tell me how to turn this thing off? That's what you're here for, right? I heard that if you shut this thing down it'll shut down the well, too."

"Sorry, but I'm not here for that. As for how you do this, you'll figure it out, trust me. I'm here as a messenger from a friend. A Gerudo friend. She told me to teach this song to you, the girl who drains the well. Whistle it with me."

There was an embarrassed pause. "I can't whistle."

Link couldn't believe his luck, but ploughed on, "Then just learn the song. Memorize it, or something. Just learn it. You need to. According to my friend this song could save our people."

"Wait. I have this." She pulled out something that glowed like a moonlit pearl, a shape of a teardrop with a little lip on its side. "I can play this."

_She didn't have that last time, did she__? When you and she went down into the Well? _Navi asked, bewildered, and Link was sure she was right.

"That'll do. Now, play this."

Link played the song against his fingers and Nabooru copied him. There were a few snags at first, but together they mastered the whole song, and it was as if something in them twanged and thrummed at the tune, making the very air shiver with madness, their very existence disturbed.

There was a clap of thunder, and lightning.

For a second that seemed all too long the windmill was blasted with bright electric light and the two of them saw each other, Hylian man and Gerudo girl, mouths agape, the sudden storm indoors washing them with a torrent of rain.

Outside Sheik noticed two things. The windmill going berserk, and a red light bursting forth from the Gerudo desert.

Sheik shuddered. Ganondorf. It had to be.

Back inside the Windmill, the Gerudo girl had Link pinned against the wall. "What the _hell_ is this!?"

"Hey I didn't know it'd do this either! But this solves _everything_!" Link burst out laughing, and casually used some old moves taught to him by Nabooru herself, shocking the young girl as he escaped from her clutches.

"Link!" The door opened and Sheik hollered inside. "What are you still doing here? The Well is draining as we speak, and Ganondorf's coming! Move, Link!"

"I'll be right there!" Link dodged a swipe from the Gerudo girl, whirled behind her and spoke into her ear: "Remember this: Teach this song to the Prince. And tell him to teach it to you. You'll know who it is, and when. _Trust me_."

Then they were both out, sprinting and whistling, teleporting to Temples here and there to shake Ganondorf's trail before pulling the Master Sword out of its pedestal, sending them back to the future.

… … … … …

Link gave a shuddering sigh of relief as they both collapsed onto the floor of their Temple of Time.

"So, did you do what you had to?"

"Oh yeah," Link grinned, "And right now I'm going to do something very despicable."

Sheik eyed him warily. "Please don't forget that I'm armed and you're not."

"Not to you, you egghead."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'm currently tracking the location of a certain object, with a string of power from this here," Link explained, tapping the back of his left hand, "And once I've found it, I'm going to do a very typical Gerudo thing."

The Hero of Time sighed, straightening himself up. "Steal it, I presume."

"Yup. Found it."

"Link, what are you stealing." He asked, belatedly threatening him with the Master Sword,

_It's Fi, remember? Her name is Fi._

"The Ocarina of Time."

Link got to see Sheik's eyes widen with horror before he slipped through space and landed right next to the object, which was only a few hallways down the back of the Temple. Link grabbed it, the Triforce protecting him from most of the harmful curses set there to specifically stop despicable acts like this, before whirring outside to the foot of the renewed drawbridge, conjuring himself a mount out of earth and grass and rocks. It looked like an awesome bear.

The Hero of Time, riding Epona, was thundering towards him, Master Sword unsheathed. "Link get back here _right now_!"

"I'll give it back once I'm done!" Link hollowed back, before urging the bear to rumble towards the desert. The sky was turning from navy to grey, the dawn chasing them westwards.

It was a chase that Sheik couldn't win, but that didn't stop him from pursuing the Hylian born desert Prince all across the fields to the gorge that led to his kingdom, occasionally hissing obscenities at himself.

The Gerudo at the border patrol recognized the work of their King, so left the creature to go unhindered to their fortress. Sheik, on the other hand, had to stop, trade Epona in for a Gerudo bred creature that was more used to the terrain, deal with flirts, and sign himself in.

Under purpose of entry, he scribbled down REGICIDE.

Sheik was half way there when there was a clap of thunder, roiling clouds appearing in the skies in a blink of an eye, bloating and heaving until they wept and sobbed and mourned, as if the very sight of the desiccated, dry desert made them grieve with pity.

For the first time in living memory, rain poured upon the Fortress of the Sun.

… … … … …

Link was soaked, and was tossing the Ocarina into the air as Sheik met him at the gate that led into the Fortress. The rain here was a smattering thing, compared to the torrent further into the valley.

The Hero of Time glowered at the desert Prince. "I should take you in for breaching of the Treaty."

"And I should have you arrested for premeditated regicide, as you've so honestly written in the sign-in form." The Prince chortled back, before lobbing the Ocarina back to the Hero, "But I'll just give this back to you and we can call it quits, yeah?"

"What was that song?" Sheik questioned, once he put the ocarina safely into a saddle-bag, "How is this even _working_?"

"I'm calling it the Song of Storms, because it's catchy, and I think it works because of the paradox. That song shouldn't exist; I heard it from Nabooru, who heard it from me, who heard it from her all in different moments in time. Without power it's just a random song, but the Ocarina, with the power to know that it's a paradox, reacted. It created a storm. In any other part of the country I'm sure it'll be a devastating weapon, but here? It's a miracle. It'll give us life for the rest of our lives. You have no idea, Sheik, _no idea _how amazing this is."

Sheik jolted and froze in surprise, as Link stepped forward and embraced the Sheikah.

"You saved us, Hero of Time. You saved my people."

"Um…" Sheik told himself to stop blushing, Furore damn it all, before clearing his throat. "And here I was sure _you_ figured out what to do with Nabooru's message."

"Without you it wouldn't have worked. It would have been _impossible_. So thank you."

Link released the stunned Sheikah, kissed his forehead and freaked him out even more, before grinning. "Tell Zelda that you retrieved the Ocarina from someone evil, pick a name, I doubt they'd care, and tell the whole court you secured my people's respect and gratitude and support. Navi says tell her you love her. It's obvious. Marry her, elope with her, just tell her."

_I totally didn't say that, even if I do agree_.

Well, Link thought, if I didn't say that it was from you I'd just sound like a sap.

"I… but… the court…"

"You have the _Triforce of Courage_, with the _Triforce_ _of_ _Power_ backing you. They don't have the balls to say no. Now go. I have to figure out how to manipulate this storm, and you're in the way, Hero of Time. Go make your Princess happy."

Sheik seemed to turn, before stopping and asking, "And you? Will you find someone? Because if I go along with what you say, I may not be able to see you for… I don't know."

"I have Midna to make sure I don't go nuts. Not that bacon jokes at my funeral isn't enough of a motivation."

Sheik managed a chuckle before turning away, mounting the horse to return to the border. The Gerudo manning their posts were all galloping towards home, not able to believe their eyes, not able to believe their ears.

For the whole day the Gerudo shucked their weapons and armour. They discarded their dignity, decorum and duties. They laughed and wept and revelled and rejoiced, tears mingling with the gift of the heavens.

They screamed and sung like nobody could hear them, they ran and raved as if there were no tomorrow. They loved the rain as if they'd known it and embraced it since the moment of their birth, and danced.

They danced till dusk as if it were heaven on earth.

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><p><strong>Admittedly a bit of a sappy end, but hey. <strong>

**That's it! That's all folks!**

**Thank you so much for your time and words, and here are the final review replies!**

_**madlink007**_**: Hehehe, I thought, you know what? Link's powerful; he deserves an awesome reference. XD**

_**goldenrhino**_**: I couldn't resist. ;) I figured I'd get a cheap laugh out of it on top of the Darth Vader reference. And yeah, I do admit I didn't do Midna justice. But there was very little i could do with her at this point, since she made no appearance earlier in the story. :S To be honest she wasn't supposed to appear at all, Link was just meant to die lonely. So... yeah... thank you so much for your support, and I hope this chapter was worth the wait! **

_**CatsGotTongue: **_**I think they didn't even give Ganon a service in which to MAKE eulogies for bacon jokes, lol. True, true, ending DOES slow the plot immensely, doesn't it. I like your sister, I take it she's a writer too? What she says about fight scenes is so true! And thank you again for so much praise. Link would be very happy to know that such a faithful reader thinks so good of him. ;) You're totally not babbling, by the way. Thank you for so many of your reviews, and I hope I keep seeing you if I keep writing. **

**_daimee_:** **Yay to long chapters! I think Zelda is best cold, like revenge. Ganon is all about fire and passion, Zelda is all about ice and deliberance while Link is about patience and moving forward and between the two almost-opposites. At least, that would be the case if he had retained the Triforce of courage, lol. Yeah, EVERYONE is afraid Ganondorf 2 is coming from Link, but so far he's happily proved them wrong. He just has to kep doing it till he's dead, the poor guy. I have to confess, Midna really was tossed in. originally Link was meant to be all alone, but I thought that was a bit sad, so yeah. I hope the eilogue wasn't a disappointment to your anitcipation, lol. XD I'm glad some people agree that the Harry potter epilogue was stupid, hehehe. XD Thank you so much for your constant reviews, and I hope you have a good year. **

**_Ray-Kat-hollows_: Yup, now completely over. Link's reign will probably be a short one, lol, since he'll eventually do something stupid. It's that trying to get things done thing, one day he's going to want to do something, meet opposition, and splat. He'll have to retire early or something. Thanks a lot for the reviews all the time, you have no idea how awesome they are. **

_**TheSilhouette**_**: I know, TS, I know. XD With so many LOZ games out there, why NOT make some token references? They are just awesome characters, after all. Thank you so much for your support, and for saying that you'll continue reading my stuff, you have made my week. **

_**remvis**_**: Thank you. And I meant 'or is it...?' because of what happened here with the song of storms. I love the song of storms, it's freaking awesome. I hope this final adventure was worht the wait, and that the whole story was worth every minute spent reading. Thanks again!**

_**WolfenAmphithere**_**: Hehehe, thanks for reading it the whole way through! It's awesome that you took so much of your time to do so, thank you. I hope the epilogue was just as good as the rest of the story. XD**

_**Insane. Certifiably: **_**Writing politics is not that hard, all that's really needed is petty self-importance and useless arguing, and hey presto, you have politics. I'm glad you thought so, though. I loved Midna too much to no write her, and I'm so happy so many people were positive with her apperance, hehehe. XD Thank you for so much of your time dedicated to reading this, and i hope to see you again in the near future!**

_**Herooftimes**_**: I love the idea of the round table, eh, like how Ghandi said democracy sounded like a very good idea. As a principal it's wonderful, but on the whole a dream. I'm glad you liked so many aspects of the chapter, and I hope this one was just as good. Thank you so much for your support, and I wish you a good year. **

_**Thomas Ender**_**: Thank you, thank you! Wow, 2 months? I'm flattered. I hope the epilogue does the rest of the story justice, and I hope you find my other stroies just as entertaining. I recommend Masked Dreams. ;)**

_**jojo**_**: Oh jojo, your almost constant stream of reviewing has been an utter delight. It was so wonderful to see your name pop in my inbox to hear how enthusiastic you were at my story. Thank you very much for your support, and I hope you liked how this has ended. **

_**Griffemon**_**: Hahaha, I know what you mean, man, hyperactive imaginations is what put me here. XD Glad you seemed to enjoy it, and thank you so much for reading all the way here. **

**And that's all the review replies! That's it! Done! FINISHED. **

**Thank you all again, and again, and again!**


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